The Grand Glamour
by mercurialleo
Summary: In the summer break after 4th Year Harry changes his attitude towards life to a far less depressing one, but a Muggle restyled Draco Malfoy, a herd of vampires and a loony Dumbledore gets in the way of his research of hormones. WARNING: PLOT/SLASH REVIEW
1. The Awakening

**The Grand**** Glamour**

**1****- The awakening**

After serving breakfast that morning to his ungrateful relatives, Harry went on one of his frequent depression walks around the neighborhood that were becoming a startling habit this summer.

During the summer break he hadn't received anything from Ron and Hermione, even Sirius or Dumbledore, no letters, no gifts on his birthday, he had tried to contact them on several occasions, but nothing seemed to work. Hedwig would just return with the letters still tied to her. He was all left alone.

Somehow the doomed end of the Triwizard Tournament and the killing of Cedric Digory, as well as the return of Voldemort, had sucked out all of the joy the Wizardkind was capable of. Including Harry himself. But he still couldn't believe that everyone had decided to mourn on their own. He needed, even anticipated some support. But everybody just had decided to ignore him.

Harry had this intense feeling inside, something trembling, like before an exam or a test for which he hadn't studied. He was scared, by Gods, he had all rights to be scared, he was convinced that all of the Wizarding World was biting its nails and hiding in cupboards. Woops, bad choice of words.

One Harry Potter sighed heavily and kicked a trashcan in the side, earning some condemning looks from the two ladies sitting at the bus stop across the street.

_Well, fuck them. Fuck everybody. _He thought to himself, although that didn't ease the tingling sensation gripping his insides, it somehow opened up a new possibility, a new route for his thoughts to move on.

_That's right. I don't need them. While I have been spending two thirds of my summer, just throwing the holidays away, my only free time of all responsibility and duties, just waiting for my supposed friends to give notice, I should have been living. Enjoying what's still left of the world. For Christ's sake, I'm fifteen. And I'm still acting like the sissy I was when I first found out about magic. _

He finally felt like a free man. He decided to take the matters of his life in his own hands, not to obey and trail behind everyone who had ever showed interest.

He smelt the summer breeze, wafting around Privet Drive. He stood still for a moment and opening his eyes he saw a girl going past him, gazing at him as she walked by, with a small smile on her lips. He turned around and took a long look at her ass. A nice ass it was.

Another condemning look from the ladies, followed by conspiratorial whispers. He snorted.

_Old hags. _He thought, almost voicing it, and continued walking down the street, to the nearest park where he would leisurely lie down on a bench, appraising some more female ass.

--

He somehow remembered having heard an expression 'blondes have more fun'. He wondered if it was true.

While trying on some shirts, he wondered whether it was more fun _with _blondes.

Harry had a date.

It was his first one, but he was determined not to show it. He was nervous, of course, who wouldn't be with a beautiful creature as that specific girl was, and he new he needed new clothes, as fast as possible.

He had exchanged some Galeons to Muggle money, enough to last through all of august and he had also managed to do it without getting caught or even being seen. He was proud of himself and he smirked as he found out that clothes of smaller sizes, than those what Dudley wore, suited him perfectly and made him look astoundingly good. Especially everything tight. Harry had all the privacy of the changing cabin to look at himself.

For the last few days young mister Potter had tried to break his mind by thinking as a girl. The motives where as following- how to look appealing to a girl, how to easier get a date with some of them, how to figure out what were those topics he could talk about, just to get rid of humiliating silent moments followed by 'errs' and 'umms'.

He was acting really foolish, trying to imagine what girls saw, and how different it was from a guy's logic. He had tried to imagine being a girl, questioning Aunt Petunia, in a seemingly subtle manner, but Uncle Vernon had taken it as something obscene and for a few days Harry had sported a black eye. But everything always has a good ending, because while lounging on his park bench this sexy blonde had appeared, apparently off from work for lunch. She sat down on his bench (Harry had even engraved his name on the backrest that now read 'Harry's bench') and took out a paperback fantasy novel and her bag of sandwiches.

At one point she dropped her book. Of course, being the great Gryffindor, Harry bent to pick it up.

"Here you go," he has said and looked at her.

"Thanks. Hey, what happened to your eye?" she had asked, still looking at him with her pale blue eyes.

"I ran into a tree," she snorted in disbelief, muttering quietly 'yeah, right'. "And then the tree cursed at me and hit me back with a branch. I even had to go to a doctor to take the splinters out."

At this she laughed. Harry smiled, she had a nice laugh.

"You don't believe me?" he added when the girl looked at him, having calmed down after laughing.

"I am reading a fantasy novel, but it doesn't mean, I believe it's all true, you know."

"Well, I do believe in all things fantasy. Life is boring enough. Can't be that nature has meant it to be like that, so there has to be more to it," Harry surprised himself by leading this small talk very eloquently.

"Well, I hope to live to see it," she had said, leaning back against the bench, covering the small engraving with her shoulder. She had a nice lean body with small breasts and breathtakingly beautiful legs. "Meanwhile, my boss hates me for reading these constantly."

"Oh, what do you do?"

"I'm a secretary," she smiled at Harry and his heart skipped a beat. A girl had just smiled just for him. "And what do you do?"

"I'm still in high school. A going-to-be senior," getting in touch with his inner Slytherin was turning out to be the best idea ever. A girl like that would never really talk to him if she new Harry was only fifteen.

"Oh, you lucky person! Getting to enjoy this beautiful weather. But be sure to spend your last free summer by doing everything you possibly can. I kinda' regret loosing that."

"I'm sure I will, thanks for the advice," he smiled a genuine grin at her, barely controlling himself not to reach out and touch her tanned shoulders.

"Better get going, otherwise, they will be again all bothered at the office," she stood ready for leaving. But Harry thought that he saw her waver a bit, as if waiting for something. He stood up.

"Yeah, but maybe, we could, you know, maybe go out sometime. Nothing fancy, I just found talking to you real refreshing," he fidgeted with his hands for a few moments, nervous as hell, but, thank god, he didn't drop mute, unlike all his other times trying to talk with girls, Cho surfaced his memory…

The girl lit up: "Yeah, sure, I'd really love to! Let's say Thursday evening seven, here this same spot?"

"It's a deal!" Harry practically jumped out of happiness- he was having a date with… Wait!

He laughed a bit, easing the moment that way and stretched out his right hand: "And by the way, my name's Harry."

"Oh," she giggled, grasping his hand. "That's right. I'm Ann. Nice to meet you, Harry."

"It's been a pleasure," he dropped her hand after giving it a slight squeeze. "Cheers, good luck with your colleagues!"

"Cheers!"

He looked after her for a while, her fetching ass and legs, just for him on a date on Thursday evening. Then turning around, he winced- all this smiling was making his black eye hurt a little.

But well, no pleasure, no pain.

--

The date turned out to be a blast- they had a small dinner at a small kitschy Italians that didn't serve so much food as nice wine. Ann and Harry both got tipsy, and giggled their way to a club to make fun of all those people who were wiggling their ways drunk through the dance floor.

Harry felt good and free with her, it could be because this girl was a bit older that any of those he had met at Hogwarts and was taking things natural and without any girly giggling or blushing and turning away, consulting a whole batch of girlfriends as bodyguards behind her back, because she obviously had experience and was more social than any witches he knew. While being with Ann, Harry thought of the Wizarding World as a prejudiced part of the society that had for too long lived in its own hole.

He realized that it was only because he was making himself feel better and not miss his friends too much, but Harry just pushed all these thoughts in a dark little part of his brain that didn't get used while drinking and having fun.

--

"I had so much fun!" Ann exclaimed as Harry was bringing her home in a cab. "I haven't laughed like that since school. You make me feel adolescent, Harry."

She dropped her head back and looked at her new friend. Truth be told, he was already sober, he had tried to drink only coke during their stay at the club because he didn't want to get all sick on Ann like he had seen Ron become when they had peeked into his father's bar and Ron had dared to steal a bottle of whiskey. And apparently Ann wasn't much of a drinker either. After all she was just out of school, getting ready to start in some university this fall.

"You have beautiful green eyes, has anyone told you that?" Ann's voice came as if from a distance; Harry came rushing all through his thoughts back to reality.

"Hmm?" he turned towards her and she took the opportunity to lean forward and kiss him.

Harry froze. He thought a second of pulling back, but then the realization, that he had wanted to kiss her all the time, hit him in the head.

Ann had begun to caress his cheek and her tongue was dancing around in his mouth when finally Harry kissed her back. He put his arms on her shoulders pulling her closer to him. He felt her breasts on his chest, a weird sensation and she moaned in his mouth.

Then the taxi driver finally stopped the car and Ann ended the kiss, looking in Harry's with a slightly drunk/dazed look.

"Can I meet you again?" she whispered.

Harry, still feeling flushed and shocked, just nodded his head.

"Tomorrow?"

Again- a nod.

"In our spot at eight pm. Bye, I loved this evening," and with that got out of the cab and slammed the door shut.

"Now where to, boy?" the driver said and Harry, before answering, wondered if he still had a voice or had Ann kissed it away, too.

--

Ann didn't show up. Probably she had been too drunk to remember. Or she had been too drunk last night and was now embarrassed. Anyway, Harry was left standing there, feeling and most probably looking like an idiot. He drew this conclusion out of the quietness of the park; there was no one else in the park standing all alone seemingly waiting for the world to end.

_Stupid, stupid. _Harry was starting to think that he had caught some kind of disease; that all the people that knew him, had decided to suddenly ignore him.

Maybe something was wrong with him. Maybe he was a dork. Not funny enough, not attractive enough. Harry sat down on 'Harry's bench' and put his head in his hands. In the way his glasses got misplaced.

_It has to be the glasses! I look like a dork in them. _

And with that Harry had decided to go any lengths just to get rid of his glasses. He should have done it on several occasions in the past, and with the upcoming war they would only be a hindrance, that way he was easily vulnerable, not being able to see anything without his stupid spectacles.

The boy cursed and went back to Dursley's home.

--

After a week Harry Potter could have easily strolled down the busiest promenades in Diagon Alley without being recognized. Of course he didn't want to test his luck.

He had gotten around fixing his eyesight with a laser operation, a Muggle invention, because he didn't trust any wizard or witch not to go running to the press as soon as she was out of their office. The Muggle's had a stupid rule that nobody under twenty-one could have the operation done, but after a little bit of coaxing and some false ID from Dudley's friends in return for a promise not to be hexed, the doctor's showed no resistance.

And also in addition to his new stack of clothes, he had gotten his hair beautifully styled. Of course, it was still messy to no end, but he had specifically chosen a gay hair stylist which his aunt frequently attended and the fact that he had adored his thick, naturally black locks didn't also hurt. Anyway he knew that Petunia had to always have the best of everything. She had recommended him after all.

And indeed, now Harry's hair was still messy looking, but with the nice cut, quoting the hairdresser, he had now a 'freshly-shagged-look that was even more appraised that the out-of-bed-look'.

--

Right now Harry was doing what he always should have done, throwing the old Dudley's clothes out of the window. It was about dinner time and his uncle had just pulled the car in the garage, shouting at Harry: "What on God's green earth is the matter with you, boy?! Finally cracking up?"

Harry just continued, ignoring the shouts throughout the house: "Petunia, what's that demented freak upstairs doing with his clothes?"

"Shush, Vernon, Harry's finally getting some sense of style. He has bought new things for him, and is now-"

"-some sense of style?! What, he's queer now? It would really suite a freak like him. Get me my dinner."

--

The rest of the summer went by without any accidents; Harry had a few more dates, but nothing serious, as he couldn't find exactly a girl that had something remotely attractive. And he never saw Ann again.

Most of the girls he met were overweight as if they had never heard of sport or diets, or they were slobs, always barking not laughing.

In some more introspective moments, Harry found out that he was looking all the time for someone who could match Ann. He was just looking for that cold, refreshing beauty, blond hair, light eyes, lean body, firm ass. An impossible catch, furthermore, he would have to go to Sweden to find original blondes. Or start a Veela breeding factory…

All he got from women around him were chubby bellies and quivering asses, bleached blond hair with disgusting dark roots sticking out, not always washed carefully. The beauty of their eyes was overridden by stacks of make-up, the lashes sticking together because of too much mascara. Harry found that he was truly disgusted by some of them. Once after he had stroked some girl's cheek, the powder came off on his fingers just like plastering of a ceiling.

He tried talking with his hairdresser about this problem of his, but Andy just suggested he go on a date with a bloke. It didn't quite work for Harry; he wasn't even going to try something so desperate.

But the young wizard did agree to go for a coffee with Andy on his lunch break. It couldn't hurt, could it?

"So, your Aunt tells me some interesting stuff about you. I was actually hoping I could meet you some time for a few years now," the hair stylist deliciously licked the milk foam off his cappuccino. Leaving some of it on his upper lip.

Harry swallowed hard: "Er… You got some… foam… on your…," for the first time in a month his eloquence was lost in a bit of Andy's tongue tracing the line where the chocolate sprinkled foam had been on his lip. "Yeah, now's fine."

The man laughed out loud at Harry's flushed cheeks and in addition put on a small show by cleaning the corner of his mouth with a finger, then licking it: "It's so delicious… The chocolate, you know, I think I like it so much because of life not being sweet enough…"

"Mhm…," the boy sitting across the table was lost in a trance. His eyes had gotten glazed all over and Andy laughed again, waving a hand in front of Harry's face, to wake him up.

"Are you for real, Harry? And you claim yourself straight?"

Harry straightened up a bit; he had gotten all slouched in the cozy chair, but after his companions comment, he attempted to regain his confidence. He stubbornly looked out of the window: "Yeah, because I am."

"Aha, right…"

"So… what has my aunt been telling you?"

"Oh, that you're a freak. That they even had to send you to a boarding school for the criminally insane, or some sort of bullshit."

"True, I do attend a boarding school," Harry answered, not wanting to put himself in a lousy situation about him being a wizard.

"Only for boys?" Andy suggestively remarked, quirking one eyebrow, which Harry found somehow appealing and sexy.

_Eeek, bad thoughts, out of my head._

"No, not only for boys!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, and do you sleep in big dormitories? Hearing how the others mumble in sleep or jerk off?"

"Something like that…" Harry got angry at himself for agreeing.

"It must be real hard, being away from home all the time, living with complete strangers, even the people you don't like, but still having to see them all the time."

Harry remembered Malfoy suddenly. All the attacks and fights. He contemplated this into his own black coffee.

"Well, actually, even as horrible as some people are there, most of them are great, mind you, but having a 'home' like I have, in some sense of the word, with my Aunt and Uncle, my real home, sweet home has become my school."

"That must one heck of a school," Andy said and both men fell into a friendly silence.

Harry was brought back to his memories of Hogwarts and the people there. He realized that only a week was left before he had to return to a world where he was some kind of a hero in a war doomed to break out soon enough. Where there was loss and death and sadness and friends who never wrote to you over the summer.

He did hold a small grudge against them all, for not being there when he really needed them, the last thing he could remember from the Great Hall was Dumbledore's speech regarding Digory's death, and all the student body quietly moving out and to the train station quiet and thoughtful. But he wanted to laugh, to enjoy everything while he still could. It was a selfish desire, but he intended to pursue it for a while and ignore all of the other things as longer as possible.

"I brought you back to memories, right?" Andy broke the silence. "And they are not too happy by the look in your eyes."

"No, it's just, I miss them all horribly."

"But don't you phone each other? Meet sometimes? We're living in the communication era, after all."

Harry gave a sad smile before spilling the truth: "I tried, but they all seem to have ditched me."

"Ouch. That's got to be hard. Some friends you have. No wonder you have finally hatched from your shell."

That was one thing Harry had never expected to hear: "What d'you mean?"

"Well, Mrs. Dursley says you have never taken care of your looks, but look at you now. Harry, you are one of the hottest new things this summer," Harry had the decency to blush, although he had almost gotten used to Andy saying things like that. "And don't think I don't remember, but I do, I had seen you last year when you came by to purchase some shampoo and conditioner for your beloved aunt. You were all shy and scared looking, as if you awaited someone to hit you if you said something more than necessary."

"What, really? Even I don't remember that," Harry gave a small laugh.

"Really. You had slouched shoulders, and you were small. Wearing clothes too big as if trying to hide that fact," the hairdresser smirked.

"Well, the clothes had to go eventually," the young man tried to stand up for himself. Or Ron and Hermione. He didn't actually know for which.

"But you have gained confidence," arguing against Harry's loss of belief in himself.

"That still doesn't explain how it's linked together with me not being with my school friends."

"Well, don't kill me for saying that, but I think that your friends held you in that shell of yours. I don't have a degree in psychology, but I do know people, I work with them, after all. And I suppose that you are befriended with people who have a steady image in their heads of how you should be, how you are. It's like what some people have in their families. And they love you how are, you don't need any change; you are in your safe little nest, no need to impress someone, no need to prove yourself. I even have met people who are afraid of changes because their loved ones might not like it. So they leave everything as it is."

"I'm humoring you, go on," Harry, hooked by Andy's explanation, put down his cup which had helped him maintain some kind of a protection layer, and leaned forward in interest.

"There are two kinds of people. It's exactly the analogy about the two mice that fell into the barrel of cream. One drowned, not being able to get out, but other one was kicking and squirming until the cream had turned into butter and it could easily climb out. When being left by your friends, you didn't shell in, but instead tried and have succeeded in gaining some confidence on your own. By living to _your own_ standards. Being what _you_ want to be."

"Wow, that's some insight you have there, Andy," Harry leaned back in the chair, contemplating everything. "Damn, you're right."

Andy smiled the smile of the Cheshire cat: "I'm a genius. There is no cure for that."


	2. What's wrong with you?

**2- What's wrong with you?**

When Harry arrived to the King Cross Station, he had a feeling of dread coming up in his stomach. He didn't want to meet anyone, but in the same time was eager to see and hear his friends.

It was the first time in a long while since he had arrived to the train station alone, so automatically he began to search the crowd for familiar faces, being now much taller, he could easily spot the patch of redheads moving erratically around.

He wasn't ready.

He didn't want to do it.

He wanted to go on and pretend they didn't exist.

He actually wanted to run away and join a circus.

Anything was better than having to face them.

Harry decided to go to the bathroom before boarding the train, so he pulled his trolley behind him and entered the public lavatory in hope of some cold water on his face.

While drenching his hands in the soothing feeling of water, Harry became aware of truly weird sounds coming from one of the cabins.

"Ooh, yeah, just like that. Don't stop. Argh…"

It was a man's voice and Harry turned around to see the cabin in question visibly rocking. Harry snorted. This was getting even more stupid.

"Gonna come… yesssss…"

And it stopped rocking. Some jingling of belts and zippers being done was heard and then the door opened.

Harry turned quickly around, turning off the tap and drying his hands and face.

It seemed that two males had emerged from the cabin. One exited immediately the other came to the sink that was next to Harry. He bent down and drank a bit from the faucet, then spit the water out and turned to Harry.

"Could you hand some of those towels over?"

Harry froze. He couldn't move. This was becoming even sillier with every moment.

"What the fuck is your- shit!" The man exclaimed, staring at Harry with an equally shocked expression and an inability to move for several seconds.

"Merlin, Potter, you have changed," staring back at him was none other than Draco Malfoy. And he was also looking quite different. His platinum blond hair was longer and not straight anymore, instead tousled with gel and he even had a nice looking piercing in the tip of his ear. And he was wearing Muggle clothes- a tight black shirt with the upper buttons opened, exposing his chest and collarbone, and hellishly tight black jeans with a low waistband, so that his hipbones were a bit visible while he moved. And to add to Harry's shock, Malfoy was wearing Converse All Stars. Muggle clothing did agree with him; in a weird sense he was looking hot, all his slender body wrapped in black, with an icing of white blondness and grey eyes that shot daggers.

"Now, how about that towel?"

Close to letting 'you're looking so freakin' hot that I suppose you will have dried off by now' spill, Harry quietly passed the paper towel.

"That was an interesting interaction you had there a moment ago, Malfoy," Harry had managed to compose himself.

"Actually, it seems ages ago now. Merlin, the time you took staring at me," the other boy dodged the sticky subject with great ease.

"You're pierced in the ear and wearing sneakers, it would shock even Dumbledore with no end. Do you plan on arriving in the Great Hall dressed like that? It would sure shake everybody up," Harry allowed himself a smirk, imaging what a sight could that be.

"Here here, there spoke the wise man, who finally has become aware how ugly those glasses were. Or maybe you became too vain after seeing how easy it is to get someone in _deadly danger_," Malfoy's voice became low and full of menace on the last few words.

"Do you want to continue as always? Or maybe grow up at some point. Because personally I don't really see any sense in wasting my breath on you, Death Eater Fairy," Harry passed the blond pain in the arse with a determination not to continue and board the train as quickly as possible because he had already had the bad feeling he might be missing the train.

But Malfoy pushed him from behind, Harry almost fell. He recovered quickly enough and slammed the other into the wall. He didn't have any time to give the boy the good beating he had been looking for, because Malfoy landed a solid punch on his nose and Harry stumbled back, loosing his grip on the smaller boy's forearms. His vision blurred, reminding him much of the time while he still had had bad eyesight.

"Who's the fairy now, huh? Do you feel all manly-like while being beaten up by a queer not the other way round, freaking homophobe," Draco Malfoy started yelling at Harry.

"Calm down! If we don't hurry, we might miss the train. Oh, and by the way, I'm not a homophobe. The emphasis was on 'Death Eater', but I guess it doesn't bother you much," Harry said and both of them in a moment of awareness exited the toilet.

"Yeah, because that's something I'm not," Draco muttered while the both of them ran to the entry to Platform 9 ¾, but there already was no train. It had left.

"Shit, fuck, fucking shit!" Harry shouted around. Malfoy stared at him as if he had lost his mind.

"Well, that's what you get for not being nice to me," he said, smirking shamelessly, seemingly not worrying about having missed the train.

Harry sat down on a bench, still cursing to himself. Then something occurred to him: "It's all your fault! If you hadn't been-"

"If I hadn't been what, Potter? Maybe start blaming me also for being the world's biggest idiot!" Malfoy now shouted right back.

"Oh, bugger off," Harry just turned away, and went back to the Muggle part of the station.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going? Feeling so great that you don't need to go to school anymore?" Malfoy's voice trailed after him.

"Well you can sit there and wait for the next train, I now better, that's not an option. I don't care, actually, what you do," Harry turned around and was walking backwards now.

Malfoy looked ready to set everything on fire. But his composure suddenly changed when Harry ran into an old lady trying to carry her struggling cat in a broken box. When the boy bumped into the woman, the lid dropped and the cat ran away screeching. The lady after him: "Pussy, come back, pussy, don't run away, pussy, you'll get lost with all those people around! Help, somebody, my pussy just ran away from me!"

Malfoy had doubled over and was laughing hysterically. He had a really pleasant and appealing laugh. His real laugh, without any malice at all. And he didn't seem able to stop. Soon he was out of breath, with a slightly flushed face, struggling not to giggle. But, to Harry's amazement, Malfoy was really giggling.

"Hey, everything okay?" Harry came over to where the smaller boy had dropped on his knees, unable to stop.

"Pussyhihi…hihihilarihihous," the blonde just continued to laugh, with pauses to catch some breath in an alarmingly loud manner so that Harry, and apparently all the other people in the station, began to think he was sick with asthma or something.

After a while Malfoy had regained his composure, as they both sat down on one of the benches.

"So, what does our genius intend to do?" he asked to the black haired wizard sitting next to him and thinking of something far, far away.

Harry then turned to him and grinned like a maniac: "What else to do, we're going to fly."

--

They had both magically shrunk their trunks, shoved them into their pockets and Harry had left Hedwig fly on her own to Hogwarts. It had been a frustrating moment to find some place for take off, that was not surrounded by Muggles.

Surprising enough, Malfoy had known some kind of a glamour charm to make people ignore them, Harry had wondered why on earth would anyone want to learn a charm like that in their free time, but remembering the boy's sexual preference, he realized it could come in handy.

It was indeed a real joy to be flying again; Harry had always felt free in the sky. The wind was rushing against his face, or maybe he was rushing against the wind as he was really flying fast enough to manage that.

But after a while it had become exhausting. It was a cold evening when both boys decided to land and rest for a while.

"Do you think somebody noticed us?" Malfoy finally spoke. He was lying sprawled in the middle of a field, acting as if the grass was some kind of a bed. He looked like at home, although Harry had always thought that this person would definitely not feel at ease in nature at all.

"They didn't try to shoot us, so, no, I don't think anybody saw two blokes on brooms. But any Muggle would think that they were loosing their wits and not believe their eyes. No need to worry," Harry answered sitting on a rock and enjoying the nice twilight that had taken over the field. It was quiet, but still the sounds of summer were in the air.

"So what's wrong with you? You're acting weird. Not at all Malfoyish," Harry turned to the other boy.

"Believe it or not, but I was almost ready to ask you the same question. Except the Malfoy part. Although you're acting is pretty Slytherin."

"Answer the question, Malfoy," Harry pointedly looked in the blonde's eyes. The other just smirked.

"Why, why. Aren't we serious…"

"See that's the problem with you," Harry said, earning a curious look. "You're all joyful and laughing almost all the time. You have, Jesus, I can't believe I'm saying that, you have loosened up. Now, why is that?"

"Because I get laid on daily basis?" quirking his eyebrow at Harry, the other boy suggested. But he didn't let go so easily. "Oh, I don't know, I mean, _how_ should I know that? Maybe it's because I don't have the damned Malfoy stick up my ass anymore."

Harry snorted at the metaphor; he really hoped it was a metaphor: "How so?"

"I told my parents to go fuck themselves. Or even better- let Voldemort do it as they are prone to lick his ass any time," Malfoy said, looking back at the sky. Harry gave a start at this, taking a deep breath. "And no, Potter, don't even think about it, I didn't do it to join your side. No way! I'm still the same asshole. And I don't intend to change my attitude towards any of you. To my mind you're still the same nutshell you have always been, a little better dressed, but otherwise, the same."

"So why?"

"First of all, I don't and have never had the great wish to become a stupid, mindless Death Eater. Wouldn't suit me. I'm all decadent and a hedonist to boot, not a killer. And even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be accepted, oh why, you'll ask. That's because I'm gay. It's no secret to you, you should make sure that that stays that way, I don't want more publicity that I have right now. I'm in the 'most wanted' posters all over Death Eater lairs. I don't top you, but nobody could. And when I got to realize that if anyone at my family found out my preference and would be skinned without any second thought. So better back off while there was still time. I stole a lot of money from them and went living in the Muggle world. At least there they have gay bars," he laughed at that, but overly it seemed to Harry that Malfoy had enjoyed taking his time off the Wizarding World. In all senses he seemed more then content with the angle his life had gained: "Now your turn. Spill."

"I'm not gay, sorry to inform you, so I will fail to share the experience with you, and no one has ever wanted to make me a Death Eater, there have been a few times when Voldemort has tried to convince me that together we both could achieve much more, but I kinda' didn't believe him."

Malfoy laughed again, he seemed to be doing a lot of that, disturbingly so: "No, you freaking idiot, I want to know what makes our Golden Boy so aware of his appearance. Were you getting ready for a new school year of a lot of interviews for the Teen Witch Weekly? Trying to get even more fan-mail, beating your own record?"

"Jesus, no, where do you get those ideas?"

"So it's a girl?" Malfoy leaned on his elbows, gaining more interest in the subject.

_Probably thinking of ways how to sell it to the journalists again._

"No, it's not a girl," Harry insisted.

"So you are gay? It's a guy, right?"

Harry thought about this for a moment and what Andy had said a week ago.

"Yeah, you could say that."

"I knew I was right!" Malfoy practically jumped up. "The Muggle world is swimming with hot gay blokes. Everyone could get hooked."

"Take it easy, it's not some other bloke, it's just me. I just found that I wanted to impress myself. Make me feel better."

"Oh, well, that's boring."

Malfoy sat down again.

"Let's fly? It's getting kinda' late."

--

They did miss the Sorting Ceremony and the feast. But they did come in time to meet Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape at the Grand Entrance. They were all looking horribly grim. After all, it was the middle of the night.

"Well, at least you're both together…," McGonagall muttered as they came closer.

"And from the looks of it, you have been spending the whole holiday together… What has happened to your ear, Draco?" Snape was grumbling.

"Harry, you're looking… good… without your glasses," Dumbledore could muster, but he did seem in a terrible lack of sleep as he motioned both boys inside: "But you should both be aware at the current situation in the Wizarding World, you shouldn't be flying by yourselves. But we are pleased, by all means, that you handled the situation practically."

"If you don't mind, I would like to drop dead in my bed, I flight to Scotland was not a trip of sightseeing, as you can imagine, professors," Malfoy said, but earned only a smack on the head by Snape.

"What you have done, might result in your expulsion, but given your specific situation, you are being spared. HOWEVER that does not mean that you can talk like a little brat with the Headmaster, Mister Malfoy!"

Malfoy growled and followed Snape to the dungeons. Harry wondered for a short moment, whether a long night of scolding awaited his flight partner.

"Potter," McGonagall said. "Your friends were worried. They came running to me and Professor Dumbledore as soon as they arrived. It does not do that you missed the train. You will receive detention; I will inform you about the venue details later on this week," she looked at Dumbledore, as if awaiting whether he had anything to add, but he seemed to have fallen asleep on his feet.

"Albus," she whispered to him quietly and nudged him in the arm. He woke with a start and plastered a smile all over his face, his eyes twinkling like a madman's.

"Good morning!" then he looked around. "Is it morning already?"

"Potter, the password to the tower is _Mulberry candles_. I am sure you will be able to get there without any complications. I will tend to Professor Dumbledore. Have a good night," and off she was.

Harry didn't waste any more time, he went directly to the kitchens. He was hungry as a beast.

--

Harry reached Gryffindor Tower when everybody was asleep. He had hoped that Ron and Hermione will at least have stayed up to wait for him. But everything was quiet.

The boy made it quietly up the stairs to his dorm, there he didn't even bother to unpack his belongings, but instead Harry just dropped in bed with his clothes still on. Three seconds later he was already asleep.

After what seemed just a few minutes, he was woken up by the whole group of 5th Year Gryffindors in pajamas standing around his bed. Ron was poking his shoulder: "Hey, mate, wake up."

"Let me sleep," Harry mumbled in his pillow and turned to his other side just to bump foreheads with Trevor The Toad.

"Ribbit."

"Gha!" Harry jumped up with a start. "Neville! Get that frog away from my bed!"

"Sorry Harry," the smaller boy apologized and took his pet away, soothing the now scared creature.

"Harry, we were worried like hell," Ron sat on his friend's bed. "You weren't on the train, then you didn't show up at the Feast and nobody had heard or seen you the whole summer."

"Yeah, mate," Dean joined in. "You didn't get attacked by… You-Know-Who… didn't you?"

Harry looked around his friends, surprised at how worried they were. Suddenly he realized that the fun of this summer had ended and he was back in the reality that full of danger.

"No, of course I wasn't attacked," he said, messing his hair and taking off the jumper in which he had slept. He felt sticky all over, but then the thoughts of taking a shower as soon as possible vanished by a sudden realization. "What do you mean- nobody had heard from me, Ron? You were the ones not writing to me! I tried sending Hedwig uncountable times, she just returned back. Where the Hell where _you _all summer???"

Ron looked confused: "Well, we couldn't contact you. Dumbledore had said that we should go in hiding and we put a Fidelius Charm on Burrow, that's why Hedwig couldn't reach us. And Hermione was with us all the time also..."

"But you could have tried to at least send some message to me. It's not like you hadn't managed before," Harry got up from the bed, noticing that the other boys had already scattered away from their conversation. He just wanted to dismiss the whole subject.

--

He was still sleepy when he arrived to breakfast in the Great Hall, his school robe was thrown over his shoulder because it was too damned hot to be wearing it inside. As he appeared just in his grey uniform trousers and a white shirt, he felt the whole school go silent for a moment before exploding into whispers. He scowled at them, not ready for another year of rumors and farce.

Sitting down at the Gryffindor table, he didn't even bother the greet everyone; he just nodded at Hermione and Ginny. Ron seemed inclined not to talk with him either, apparently just waiting for the whole thing just to sink in.

"Umm, Harry," Hermione spoke to him softly.

"Yeah?" he lifted his eyes and gazed at his friend. She had become more beautiful over the summer. Her hair was falling in soft locks over her shoulders and her face had grown to become more feminine and charming. Everybody had realized already at the Yule Ball last year that she is one the prettiest girls in school, but now she somehow didn't even have to try to look nice.

"Well, we were wondering… What happened to you yesterday?"

"You know, Hermione," Harry didn't really want to start again, but it just didn't seem to sink in everybody's thick skulls. "After how I got ignored over the summer by all of you, I just can't understand why do you all bother to show interest in me so suddenly?"

He did notice his friend flinch a bit, just as he did realize that what he had said stung quite a bit, but Harry couldn't find any spare strength to care.

"Harry," she sat conspiratorially closer to him, he lifted an eyebrow at that, but remained silent. "Well, I know Ron doesn't have this great insight on emotions, but you have always been sensitive, maybe he just doesn't consciously realize the real motives. But, you see, although you are an introversive type, your emotions, your anger or confusion, it is palpable for everybody around. Do you follow me?"

Harry vaguely nodded his head, mesmerized by his toast and the jam on his knife.

"Last year after… everything had happened, you shut down on us. Sometimes I even saw you staring at walls as if you wanted to just go and hit your head against them until your skull cracked open. I was scared by that. Everybody was. Whether you want it or not, you are some kind of a strength symbol among the student body here. I wished to help you, God, Ron, everybody wanted to do something, just to make you feel better. But after a while, it just seemed that you didn't need us anymore…"

"What?!" Harry exclaimed. "Are you blind, Hermione? I needed you then and over the summer, I wanted to talk with somebody…"

"Harry, thank you for telling us, but even now it seemed, when you walked in the hell, you just appear to be an independent, proud creature that can do everything on his own and despises everybody to trying even to get to him."

"That's how it looks?" Harry mumbled and tore his eyes from the food and looked over at the Slytherin table. Maybe he really should have been there. Malfoy suddenly caught his gaze and smirked. At least the bastard looked as horrible and sleepy as Harry did. "That's why nobody wrote. Everybody thought that I want to deal with this on my own and that I don't need or want anyone. Jesus…"

"Harry, I'm not saying you are like that. I know you like a brother and I can assure you that that is just how you appear to others. Because when people want to talk with somebody, they come up and talk, not seclude themselves in lonely corners."

"I didn't want to. But it's just so hard to get everything that I still can't even comprehend vocalized and form words. I don't know what you feel and how hard it is for anyone to talk about it…"

Hermione put a reassuring hand on Harry's wrist: "See, it doesn't matter how hard it is for us, I'm sure you feel a bit more scared because you were there." She swallowed hard; it looked like she had summoned all her Gryffindor courage for this talk. "But if we put out heads together and divide the fear and sadness among us, it helps. We have each other to trust in, why don't we use it?"

She gave Harry a small smile and he smiled back before tearing away from her a bit further because the closeness was a bit uncomfortable: "Thanks, Hermione."

But he still felt something like awareness inside gripping his ribs and clenching them painfully together. They had been scared from him to write or talk to, but now they were still blaming their own feelings on him, as if it were his fault. And no matter what Hermione said, he could talk with neither her nor Ron because he saw, it was so apparent, that they just still wanted to believe that everything was just it had been in their first years. As if the war couldn't break out everyday now, but what Harry knew and had seen, would just prove them wrong.

"Oh, Harry," Ginny chimed in, smiling sweetly at him. She looked like she hadn't slept at all.

"Yeah?" he was actually sick of talking about nothing all the time, but still looked up at his best mate's sister.

"What happened to your glasses?"


	3. Let the Mourners Come

**3****- Let the Mourners Come**

There was a long discussion about Harry's appearance changes at the breakfast table, since every member of the Gryffindor house seemed to have an opinion which they expressed with no hesitance. Mostly Harry tried not to listen, but after catching Malfoy staring at him and smirking at the fuss all over the Great Hall, he remembered what exactly he had said to the other boy just last night.

He had wanted to impress. As a fact.

He had done the operation to his eyes, God, he even had bought a fake ID and to do that he had associated with Dudley's friends. He really had gone through a lot of trouble and now the summer and all the girls he had met seemed to be far, far away, hidden by the mountains of Scotland. Which was actually true.

The girls in Gryffindor were indeed impressed. Ginny had always been smitten for him, but never, it appeared because of his looks. Now it was a different story.

"Well, his eyes to look a lot brighter and more colorful without the glasses," Dean expressed his artist's opinion.

"But it does seem kinda' scary, all that emotion running wild…" Lavender looked at Harry as if he were some animal in a cage for all to gaze at.

"Harry is just sensitive… That's actually charming beyond words," some other girls chimed in and giggled among themselves.

There were sudden bright flashes and Colin Creevey appeared with his eye of glass. He smiled at Harry and tried to coax him into moving his head a bit to his side just to take an even better picture.

Harry, without further words, just rose from his table and left the Great Hall. He heard murmurs and whispers behind his back. Ron even yelled.

--

"Your dearest friends bothering you, Lion King?" Harry heard a sneaky drawl just behind a corner.

He found Malfoy, casually leaning against a wall in a dark niche on the way to the Potion's Lab.

"What did you just call me?" Harry stepped in the hollow alcove.

Malfoy just gazed at him and smirked shamelessly. He looked like he was going to start laughing about a joke he heard just in his head: "You heard me."

"You know, I once read a review that the only thing remarkable about the cartoon was that it got the viewers down to tears, no matter how stone cold they were. Did the same happen to you, Malfoy? Do I make you cry?" Harry sneered at him, leaning closer.

Malfoy didn't loose his composure, and even though they were referencing Muggle culture he didn't seem inclined to change the subject or afraid that anybody could overhear them.

"Well, he does die in a remarkably absurd way for a king," the blonde boy crossed his arms over his chest. He looked weird wearing his robe and polished black shoes, almost appearing as immaculate as ever, if it hadn't been for the piercing.

"Yeah, that's when everybody cries," Harry grinned. "Will you cry for me when Voldemort kills me?"

Suddenly the niche seemed to be too narrow and small, pressing the both boys in each other's private territory. It was obvious that Malfoy wasn't comfortable with the idea of that. Harry just couldn't figure out whether it was Voldemort or him being dead.

"How-" but Malfoy didn't finish, just caught himself letting something 'inappropriate' slip and regained his smirk and said: "I think it won't be necessary seeing how you have impressed your Gryffindor friends with your glamorous appearance. You can always trust them to be there by you side."

With that the blonde just left. Harry stood there for a few more moments, trying to decipher how it was meant and not letting the awareness that his friends were almost never there when he needed him, press in his mind.

During Potions Harry just ignored Snape and Hermione, who seemed to spend the time reminding him that he shouldn't laze. Instead he spent his time drawing his coffin, really putting thought into it, how he would like it to look, and a crying Malfoy on his knees next to the coffin.

When he slipped it to Malfoy, he just paled and then glared at Harry. Somehow having somebody to count on, even if it was Malfoy who hated him with all his might, made Harry feel better.

--

"Harry, if you're finished with your dinner, I would like to have word with you," Dumbledore caught him as the boy was exiting the Great Hall. Surprisingly enough, his lessons for the day were over since the new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts was still on his way to Hogwarts having only just finished a project in Germany, or so they were told.

"Of course, Professor," Harry looked at the Headmaster, who didn't seem to have slept more than he had the previous night.

After they both had sat down in the comfortable armchairs in a corner of the Dumbledore's office and the Headmaster poured them both hellishly strong Earl Grey, Harry decided to start the conversation: "If you don't mind me saying that, Professor, I know there is a lot going on right now, but you don't really look well rested. And if this kind of tea is what you have been drinking, it is no wonder that you seem not to be sleeping at all."

Dumbledore looked up from his cup and smiled: "I actually wanted to talk about you, but I appreciate your concern, Harry. You are right; the summer has been full of events. I have assigned many Aurors to follow the activities of Death Eaters all over England. Fortunately, they seem to have decided not to start anything rash right now, but we still have to be aware of them every moment."

"I understand, but it is still crucial that everybody involved can think straight and feel well and strong _if _something does happen…"

Dumbledore sighed and put his cup down, seemingly taking notice of Harry's concern and also deciding to change the subject. He turned to the boy already with a twinkle in his light blue eyes: "Well, tell me, Harry, how it happens that you have corrected your eyesight and nobody in the Wizarding world didn't even seem to know that before breakfast?"

"I did it the Muggle way," Harry announced seemingly proud of himself. "I didn't want it to be all over the headlines and also, regarding Ron and Hermione, they appear to have decided not to associate with me over the summer."

"Ah, well, your friends were my doing, Harry. I did tell them that it should be for the best if we kept our locations secret during the summer, so no owl sending should occur. I thought it to be safe for you if you just stayed at your relative's home for the summer where you are well hidden and protected."

"Oh," Harry sat in the armchair speechless. Sure, he had known that Dumbledore was slowly loosing his wits but he would have never accounted something so rash on the Headmaster's behalf. Ron and Hermione were the stupid one's in this situation having obeyed.

"And Harry, there is this one more thing I would like to ask you…"

"Yeah?" Harry looked at Dumbledore and saw that the old man really did understand that what he had done had not made Harry happy, but nothing could be changed now.

"I wanted you, if you would feel inclined, to start some more advanced training with some of the professors. It would be something like Auror training and we would also see and have an opportunity to monitor your powers which have proved invaluable."

'Auror's training' was the magic word to Harry's brain. Before he could even notice, he had signed for additional lessons with Dumbledore, Lupin and Snape that would take place during some lessons like Divination and Transformations and he would be excused. He had bargained with the professor to let him skive off Potions too, but that was a no go. And for Lupin's lessons, since he wasn't Hogwarts professor, he would have to go to Hogsmead.

He left the Headmaster's office feeling mentally sated and also a bit more worried about the older man.

--

The next day passed by without any coincidences for Harry, but he did feel content with everybody having accepted his rules of not bothering him all the time. In Gryffindor everybody seemed offended by the boy's sudden lack of interest in their chatter and jokes. Not that Harry himself cared. He would just go flying by himself since Ron had taken the side of the 'offended' and made an ultimatum- whether Harry invites everybody flying or goes alone.

After the dinner he and Hermione had arranged a meeting in the library so that Harry could finally catch up on the topics they had discussed in Potions while he had been more inclined on drawing.

They both had chosen a secluded table far away from everybody, although some Hufflepuff girls did send dreamy looks at Harry, but at least they didn't come up to talk.

The boy liked the privacy they had in the library, the soft murmurs of the few people that were mental enough to sit there already in the second school day.

"Now, Potter," Harry was taken aback when Draco Malfoy waltzed in and took a seat in the end of their table. "Let's make this a multiple choice test. Have you become: a- mentally deranged or b- suicidal? _Nota Bene!_ I did not say that you couldn't be both or that you have never been either. Now, what will it be?"

After finishing his small tirade, Malfoy just looked at the Gryffindor boy across the table and plastered a sickeningly sweet smile on his face. He was dressed in Muggle clothing. His shirt was a dark lilac color that looked unusual but suited him perfectly. He had dark grey tight trousers on and his favorite, it now seemed so to Harry, Converse All Stars.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, her tone angry: "Can I help you, Malfoy?"

The blonde boy just looked at her dismissingly: "Yeah, you can leave."

"Malfoy, I have no idea what you are going on about, but if you don't leave in the next two seconds, I will unfortunately be inclined to drag you with my own hands to the nearest lavatory and flush your head down the toilet," Harry leaned forward so he wouldn't have yell.

"I bet you would love to meet me again in a public loo. I also bet that you are one of those sickos who get off at the possibility of being caught. But as it derives from some recent conversation we had, I think you are already waiting for the mourners to come," another sweet smile from him and Harry felt like he had just eaten too much sugar and now had to throw up.

"Malfoy, I can't understand what exactly is your latest problem, maybe something bad exploded in the dungeons and you got intoxicated. But I beg of you, please go and see Madame Pomfrey. I have a feeling you will be sprouting warts all over the place if you stay so close to my wand," Hermione said and it even made Harry feel proud of her. She really did pull out her wand and put it on the table.

"I just need to talk to Potter for a while. I will bring him back unharmed, scout's parole," Malfoy held his left hand up, clearly making Hermione see the Muggle reference that made her eyes widen.

"It's the right hand, Malfoy. Take him, I just want you out of my sight," Hermione mumbled into her book.

"Hermione, you will let me go off with Malfoy. More to that, you said that he should _Take me_?!" Harry was shocked. He wasn't really scared, just offended. "Don't I get a saying in this?!"

"NO!" Hermione and Malfoy said in unison that way earning a scolding look from Madame Pince, and a while later she watched how the Slytherin boy dragged Harry out of the library. He looked at her and mumbled: "If you don't see me back in two days, notify the authorities, Madame Pince, please…"

--

"Scout's parole?! You don't really find it important to keep your Muggle background a secret, do you?" Harry yelled at Malfoy who just continued walking down to the gates of Hogwarts in the direction of Hogsmead.

"Will you stop yelling? Somebody will notice us," the blonde boy hissed at him, his silver eyes shining in the twilight maniacally.

"Where are we going anyway?"

"A bar," Malfoy simply answered. They were now trotting down the slight hill that leaded directly to the main street in the small village.

"Why?"

"To get drunk."

"What?" Harry halted his step and looked at Malfoy curiously.

"Because I need a drink. I see it from the way how you seem abandoned all your friends and started believing in death by the hands of the Big Bad Noseless Monster, that you also need it," Malfoy said, turning around and looking in Harry's eyes with brutal honesty.

"But why with me?" Harry resumed walking, letting his companion lead his way.

"Because they say that while drinking even a horse appears shaggable. I don't know. Maybe because I am desperate and you are the only one who knows what happened to me over the summer, but I don't want to tell anyone else yet. _Non multa, sed multum_," the boy entered a shabby looking pub away from the main promenade.

"That was more honesty than I had ever hoped to hear from you, Malfoy. And it does suit you to talk in a dead language that nobody except geeks understands," Harry smirked at the glare the blonde sent in his direction.

"Shut up and drink," he handed over a glass and after choosing a table he put a Scotch bottle down.

"You know, we shouldn't get drunk…," Harry eyed the bottle which's label read: The Dalmore, Cigar Malt.

"But what's the use of being in Scotland if we can't consume the best Scotch there is? Of course, it's just my humble opinion," the boy poured himself a glass and took a sip. "Mmm… You just can't let this taste go pass you."

The whisky was indeed good. And the drunkenness was even better. The Slytherin had been right, Harry had needed to loosen up. Well, maybe they hadn't needed to drink almost the whole bottle, but shared between two people it wasn't _that_ much.

"You know, what's the most horrible thing in the Muggle world?" Malfoy said, leaning on the table and gazing at the far away wall.

"The life span?" Harry tried to imagine what exactly Malfoy saw that was so interesting in the wall.

"No, you dickhead. The fact that they don't have Hangover Potions."

"Yeah, but where do we get one tomorrow? Madame 'mpfrey is not likely to give us any," Harry slurred.

"I'll get some from Snape, and we can meet, I will get you some too…"

"I never thought I will be saying this, but we need to get back," Harry stood up. His suddenly got even dizzier than before.

"What? No! I'm not going back, they all are stupid as farm animals. And they smell like that also!" Malfoy whined as Harry tried to drag him out of the chair. He just managed to pull the boy down on the floor.

"I will not get busted because of you. Now get up, Malfoy, stop acting like a child," Harry got irritated. He really wasn't fond of the idea being caught drunk and out of bed.

"You can go, I will stay," Malfoy just poured himself another glass. The bottle was now empty.

"I will not leave you here. What can assure me that if you get caught while trying to make your way back, you will not tell that I was with you? Or even better- tell them that I was the one who got you drunk?"

"That's some Slytherin insight you have there, Potty," Malfoy giggled. "I do have you by your tale, right?"

"Bad mental image! Now get up already!!!"

--

Harry made it to the Gryffindor Tower just a half an hour after curfew. But Ron and Hermione were still up waiting for him.

"Shit…"

"Where have you been all evening, Harry?!" Hermione yelled across the common room. Some people came out of their dormitories because of the racket.

"Well, you let me go off with Malfoy, didn't you? And we got drunk from the tastiest whisky I have ever tried," Harry slouched on the sofa not at all affected by his friend's anger. "You should try it sometime. It was mild and almost sweet but still strong. And kinda' cigar smoky… mhm. Delicious!"

"You are drunk? And you were with Malfoy? You could have gotten yourself killed. Or maybe Malfoy was just spying on you? " Ron screeched at Harry for what seemed an eternity.

"Malfoy isn't on their side anymore, Ron," Hermione tried to defend her friend.

He then turned to Hermione: "And _you _let him go?! Hermione!"

Harry didn't like this at all. He turned to Ron and tried to say as softly as possible: "How come when it comes to you spending time with me flying or sending letters over the summer, you seem to not even think of it as something necessary, Ron? But when I go out drinking with somebody just to loosen up from all this tension between us, you get all freaked out and suddenly care!"

"Okey, have it your way, Potter!" Ron yelled and stomped to bed.

Harry just turned to Hermione, not understanding why Ron had overreacted: "What did I say?"

--

Next day the headline of the front page of the Daily Prophet read:

_Hogwarts, a school where they let our children drink whenever they wish, Harry Potter, the Golden Child of the Wizarding World growing up and fi__nding his way around rules. _

After the news had traveled all around the school and reached also the professors, Harry and Draco had received a long lecture from both McGonagall and Snape about drinking and being out of bed after curfew. They received another detention to top the one they had gotten upon their arrival.

But the headline of the Teen Witch Weekly was concentrating on more different matters:

_Harry Potter, too vain for his friends? Associating with Draco Malfoy, the son of the supposed Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, the heir of the wealthiest and most glamorous Pure-blood family. _

The Quibbler had written something obscene about Harry having become a drunkard because of all the stress because of You-Know-Who and that he was now having it off with Malfoy.

As the blonde Slytherin gave Harry the Hangover Potion as he had promised, they agreed that the next time they will be more careful.

Neither of them wanted to get into the fact that without actually saying that, they had negotiated that there will be a next time.

Figuratively speaking, being the red cherry on the top, Ron was not talking to Harry, using Hermione as an owl to say what a bastard and asshole he truly was and how no one had noticed that before.

But Harry didn't have time to ponder any of that; his lessons with Lupin were scheduled to start the next day. They would be on the most efficient and effective defense spells and he had to do a lot of research before that.

He thanked all the mighty forces there existed that Snape's terror hours were only planned for the week to come. And Dumbledore hadn't given any notice neither to when nor about what the lessons with him will take place. Needless to say that Harry was anticipating his next meeting with the Headmaster.


	4. Blood Bonds Soul

**3- Blood Bonds Soul**

Harry's first meeting with Lupin went along the lines of two friends not having seen each other for a while.

The older man had picked Harry up at the Great Hall after breakfast and they were walking to Hogsmead in the direction of Madame Rosmerta's where Lupin had rented an apartment for his stay while training Harry.

"Um, have you seen Dumbledore lately?" Harry wanted to satisfy his curiosity, but didn't know how to break it to the werewolf.

"Yeah, just yesterday, why?

"Well, I have this feeling he isn't sleeping well. I do know that he is really busy and all, but he has always had a lot to worry about. Just lately, I mean, this week, as I didn't see him over the summer, he seems… drained. Don't you think so?"

"Well, a bit, I suppose. But I trust Dumbledore to know what he's doing."

Harry was reassured a bit. Although not the way he seemed to have expected. If Lupin had also noticed, then his hunch had been true.

They entered the tavern and Madame Rosmerta came to great them. Lupin ordered some tea for upstairs and asked Harry what would he like to have.

"I am sorry to inform you that I will not be able to serve exquisite whisky for you, Harry," the woman smiled knowingly at the boy.

He tried to smile back: "Doesn't matter, I will have tea, too."

"What was that all about?" Lupin gestured for Harry to sit down and inquired.

"Thank God! At least one person who doesn't read the paper with annoying regularity!" Harry exclaimed.

"Well they don't write anything apart from some sensational bullshit anyway. And even if they do write something about the most serious matters, it is always only partially true. I happen not to understand which part," Lupin grinned.

"Well the evening before yesterday me and Draco Malfoy, we went to some pub here in Hogsmead and got drunk. The next morning it was all over the papers," Harry tried to cut it short.

"You and Draco, huh? I had the impression that you two didn't get along that well to go out drinking on a school night," Lupin smiled at and thanked Madame Rosmerta as she levitated the tea and some biscuits in the sitting room.

"We still don't. We still are mean at and abuse each other, but with him I can be true. I don't have to play the nice guy of Gryffindor or pretend to like things I don't."

"But don't you have Ron and Hermione or have you fallen apart with them?"

"Ron's not talking to me, but that's because of the drinking accident, I don't know what's gotten into him. With Hermione everything's kinda' fine. But I can't swear around her, not about teachers or stupid classes or assignments. It's just… She is one of Them," Harry gazed at his reflection in the yellowish liquid of the fine scented tea.

"Them???" Lupin appeared dubious.

_Maybe he thinks I'm loosing my mind, too._

"You know, those people who wait for me to save the world from the Darkness. All the school seems to think I'm some kind of hero. They have always believed it. Just now it seems to be closer than ever. With every minute I just feel some dread pushing in through the glass of the windows. I can't even sit still in classes anymore."

"And Draco Malfoy doesn't think you're going to save them?"

"No, I don't know, nor do I care what he thinks about it all. He does get angry at me every time I mention myself dying. But that's exactly the thing about our conversations as rare and short as they might be. With him there is another world. He was the person I met before getting to Hogwarts this year. Even in the first year, if I come to think about it. On Moday we missed the train together. He somehow symbolizes the Muggle part of the world, my summer, the carelessness."

"So you go drinking with him just to call each other names and talk about how good it is to be young and carefree, right?" Lupin smirked at Harry, showing him exactly how naïve he sounded.

_But maybe there is more to that, it can't be that feeling that free as I do with him doesn't mean anything…_

After the lesson Harry came back to Hogwarts and decided to go for a long walk in the upper floors that were deserted most of the time and try to draw conclusions from the conversation.

--

Draco had a problem; he wasn't quite sure whether he was on the fifth or the sixth floor. He was trying to make his way through the empty corridors, looking for any hints that would give away the real way back to places he did know. He wouldn't admit to himself that he had spent too long in the Muggle world, always following the signs and posters that gave directions, all things were laid out on a silver tray there, but here he was again on his own. And he would also never admit that he had grown to hate being on his own.

He mounted a dark staircase, wondering that maybe over every summer break Hogwarts rearranged itself, but he had never taken up walking that far away from the dungeons so that he wasn't quite certain about any of it.

He came out in a light, curved corridor, one wall lined with windows.

No, he definitely was even higher up than the sixth floor. He even got dizzy while looking down to the lake and the Forbidden Forest, and the mountains of Scotland that were stretching till the horizon.

Then he heard voices. And the crash of a glass breaking.

Although that could never, in no reality or world be a good sign, he still made his way to the noise.

"_Stupefy!_" a man's yell, followed by a woman's giggling.

Any help was better than no help at all, God he had really lost his touch, Draco took a look around the curve of the corridor.

It was Potter. No surprise there. Anyone breaking glass and shouting around without anybody in sight had to be Potter.

The boy looked like he was struggling against something. After a closer inspection Draco found out that it was a ghost. Of a woman.

She was holding him against a wall, how could that be possible?

After a second thought Draco found out that Potter himself was cowering into the wall, trying to get away from the ghost as far as possible. Apparently, even if it meant crawling backwards into a solid stone surface.

"Found yourself a girlfriend, Potter? Too bad she's a ghost. Or maybe you're that desperate," he leaned against a wall, leisurely looking at the broken window that had let strong and freezing wind in the corridor. The stupid Gryffindor had attempted to stupefy a ghost, idiot.

"Get away, Malfoy!" Potter screamed at him. The girl ghost looked at the blond boy.

"Ooh, he's pretty," she was gazing at him with a dreamy expression on her transparent face.

Then she left Potter alone, now coming rapidly towards Draco, who was fidgeting nervously. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Stop! Leave him alone." Potter yelled at the ghost. She turned around, a surprised look on her face. "Malfoy, run away!"

"What?! No way! I'm not missing this in a thousand years! The Boy Who Lived To Shag His Girlfriend The Ghost. Or The Dead? Which one do you think is better?"

"I'm not a ghost!" the girl screeched. "I'm a vampire!"

"Yeah right, try telling that to a Hufflepuff, you'll be luckier there," Malfoy snorted.

"I am a vampire! Okey, a vampire ghost, but still I am no ordinary ghost," the girl really looked offended. Maybe she wasn't dead for that long to get used to it, so instead she tried telling obscene stories…

"Since when do vampires have ghosts, huh? That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard," Malfoy noticed that during his little interaction, Potter had come closer.

"How do you restrain a ghost, Malfoy?" he whispered.

"How should I know?! If I did I would have gotten Peeves away from my underwear drawer a long time ago," Draco sneered at the black haired boy.

"Oooh, don't you both dare to ignore me!" with this announcement she attacked Harry.

The ghost got fully absorbed in the boy's body and when Harry opened his eyes the next time, they had become radioactive green.

"Oops, shit, gotta run, bye," and Malfoy turned for leaving, but Harry shook and stretched out and the ghost emerged again. The boy fell to the floor, panting as if after a long run.

"Oh, you're so strong, I find it sexy how you're fighting me," the girl loomed over him as Malfoy got to Harry to help him. No, not help, he just wanted to check if everything was okey and the other could still show him the way out of this weird part of the castle.

"Get away, Malfoy, don't you hear what I'm telling you?" Harry said, but the ghost disappeared into his body once again.

"Bye," Malfoy got up as quickly as he could, but Harry grabbed the hem of his cloak. In the farce, Draco just slipped out of it ran back to the stairs and down them as quickly as he possibly could. Harry was dead on his tracks, or maybe it was the ghost…

Malfoy didn't have time to ponder how to address the being that had now become out of the previous Golden Boy, he vaguely remembered passing an abandoned classroom on his way and made for the door. He managed to emerge in the room, but couldn't close it due to the pressure of Harry's weight and strength on it. The creature succeeded in breaking the door open and throwing Draco on the floor with the force.

"I'm so hungry, you can't even imagine, pretty boy," the ghost girl said using Harry's voice in the lowest tone possible.

In no time Draco was being pressed against the wall in most awkward of positions. One Harry's leg was squeezed between his own legs, giving an uneasy pressure to his groin, given the situation, and also successfully preventing him from moving the lower part of his body, except maybe for wiggling his legs what Draco was now doing in a hope to hit Harry, but the boy didn't even seem to register the pain that was supposed to arise. The ghost had also managed to pin his right arm to the cold stone wall behind him, that Draco, dressed now only in his white school shirt, could feel in all it's coldness. So for the time being, the blonde was not going anywhere.

"Harry, are you anywhere in there?" he squeaked as the other hand that had once belonged to Potter was slowly trying to unbutton his shirt, but couldn't quite achieve the task, so ripped the garment open. "Harry, please, help, I think the girl in your head is about to rape me… And I thought we were getting along just fine. Help me?"

Malfoy was feeling scared and small. He only now realized how much Harry had grown during the summer, and how little and weak he was comparing to the stronger boy, whose strength the vampire ghost was now fully taking advantage of.

"Pretty boy, I'm not going to rape you. No such nonsense," but Draco didn't allow himself to feel reassured by that because the hand had taken up stroking his neck.

It felt much weirder because it _was_ Harry Potter's body doing all those things; it was also his voice saying all that, in a sexy low undertone.

"Hey, come on, you are able to fight that girl! Don't be a pussy!"

He tried to get the boy away from him using his only free hand, but had only achieved feeling up the other boy's muscles under the thin fabric of the school shirt. Harry almost never wore his cloak.

_Be damned Potter for not wearing your cloak. Or maybe be damned for having such a wonderful body… Not the time for fall for the guy._

"Mmm, pure blood, it's been a long time. You are like a candy for me," Harry smiled the most seductive smile Draco had ever seen, apart from the vampire teeth that had grown in the last few minutes, and leaned towards the blonde's neck.

In a terribly cowardly manner he turned his head feeling tears rising in his eyes. He also felt teeth breaking the soft skin of his neck and biting in deeper. He felt like all of his strength and resistance was momentarily drained from his body. And he grew weaker with every moment.

Draco choked on his tears, as his senses suddenly became aggravated to every motion and feeling against his skin. _Everywhere_ on his skin.

_This is the end of all things. I'm being turned on by the Gryffindor Golden Boy biting in my neck._

Harry's mouth on his neck felt soft, despite the sharp teeth, and warm. Also Harry's leg felt weirdly satisfying pressing against his crotch. He suddenly thought that, probably, after this, given he lives through, he will belong to the taller boy. Potter's property, marked on his neck. The thought made him shiver.

After what felt like a lifetime, Harry drew back and inhaling a sharp breath, the girl ghost emerged from his body and disappeared.

But Harry's head remained pressed against his shoulder. Draco was in no condition to object. He actually felt good with someone there, with him. Then he realized that the ever brave Potter was trembling.

"Harry?" Draco's voice was weak, but at least he was still alive, although he felt like dying.

"I'm so, so sorry, I couldn't fight her. I tried, but…"

Harry lifted his head and looked into the smaller boy's light grey eyes. His forehead, where his scar was, was smeared with Draco's blood, apparently he had been pressing against the wound unknowingly.

"I'm so sorry," he said again and realized he was still pinning the pale hand with long fingers against the wall and tried to remove it, but Draco entwined their fingers together in a vice-like grip, or something close to that, as he had almost no strength at all.

"No, I need somebody… Don't leave," Draco was in a dazed state of mind, after loosing too much blood, he wasn't also at his right senses when he moved his other hand from other boy's arm to his face, stroking his cheek. He brought Harry's face closer to his own. "Comfort me."

And he caught Harry's lips in a small but heated kiss. For Draco it felt like completion, like a prize after a long contest.

Harry started when Draco's lips touched his, everything tasted of blood. He felt horrible for what he had done to the other boy, he felt like he should be executed, dragged to Azkaban by his hair. But Draco had just kissed him. As if in gratitude.

Their kiss felt like a final part of a connection that had established. Their body's pressed together, entwined and the chests rising and falling together in week, exhausted breaths. It was painful inside, guts clenched by the understanding that they were doing something that was not their decision but was long since destined. And it was bound to end…

Then the kiss was interrupted by both boys feinting in a heap on the dusty floor.

--

A young woman appeared in a large room full of Death Eaters. The middle of the circle the black dressed figures had formed stood the Dark Lord. He looked impatiently at the ghost.

"Well, Miranda? Did everything go as we planned?" the hissing voice of Voldemort made the centuries old vampire flinch.

"My Lord," she dropped to her knees. "The Potter boy fought me. He drained all my power and I had to escape because I could stay in his body only that long."

"Will young Malfoy transform?"

She wavered clearly not wanting to answer.

"Answer me, vampire!" Voldemort yelled and even his ranks of Death Eaters flinched.

"No… I fear not. No matter how strong had the bond been, he wouldn't change," Miranda said, not looking at the noseless face of her master.

"Why not? He isn't vestal, is he? As far as my information goes, he is far from that."

"My Lord, he seems to be protected by a wyvern… he is winged…"

"Shit," Voldemort muttered and the windows exploded.

--

Draco woke up with a start, drawing in a sharp breath that tickled his throat and started a coughing fit. His mouth tasted of potions; the taste stuck to his tongue and was impossible to swallow.

His neck hurt, when he touched it and felt the bandage around it, the memories returned with a crash.

The boy looked around and found himself tucked it one of the infirmary beds. The blue moonlight was shining in through the huge windows, making everything seem eerie.

The most startling realization was finding Potter sleeping in a bed on his right. He opened his eyes and Draco's heart started pounding.

"You alright?" Harry asked in a husky voice from sleep.

Somehow, regarding everything that had happened between them, it was definitely not something Draco had awaited to hear from the other boy. He just nodded: "And how are you yourself? Did I wake you?"

"No, just had one of those Voldemort dreams…" Harry was lying on his stomach, he just clamped his pillow tighter and hid his face in it.

"I think I saw one, too," Draco answered weekly, not being able to comprehend what had happened. Maybe the potions were making him dizzy.

"You did?" Harry turned his face to the blonde again. "With the vampire?"

Draco just nodded, finding the color of Harry's green eyes in moonlight striking. "Yeah, but, you see, I had never seem anything like that. It felt so real, as if I was there."

"That's because you were there, somehow mentally. I have this connection with Voldemort and sometimes I see what's happening around him. But you…" Harry grew silent, not wanting to mention their connection. In fact, he wasn't even sure they had a connection. Maybe Draco had just seen what he had because he was wounded by a vampire because of some stupid Voldemort's plan.

And other than that, he really liked looking at Draco's pale figure in the vague blue light. He was shimmering silver.

"Do you remember what happened?"

After a moment of silence the Slytherin's question seemed to shatter the tranquill atmosphere of both boys gazing at each other.

Harry reluctantly answered, looking steady in Draco's eyes: "Yes, I do. Don't you?"

"No, I do, I just…"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Harry interrupted Draco before he would say something he would regret. And if he was right with his hunch the boy wanted to apologize, but Harry felt like the dirty bastard in this case, who had bitten his neck and sucked blood.

He sat on the edge of his bed, having vivid flashbacks of the incident and wanting to shake them out of the head. He didn't want to think about how good it had felt to have someone in his arms. He didn't also want to feel the terror that had gripped him when he had first realized that he wasn't able to fight the ghost anymore.

"It was a mindless thing to do in the aftermath of the attack. And we had both felt weak and wounded…"

Malfoy had sat on the opposite edge of his own bed and was staring weirdly at Harry's mumbling.

"Yeah, well, maybe _you _felt 'weak and wounded'. Speak for yourself," he announced.

"Right, that bandage around your neck is just an accessory. And the 'comfort me' part was just for fun. _The Sexual Afterparty_ by Draco Malfoy. Everywhere where books can be bought! I see it already," Harry smirked and looked up at the Slytherin whose gaze he couldn't decipher.

"Wow, you should have been in Slytherin. That really stung," on the other hand his voice expressed only awe, nothing from his emotions.

_He's just gotten used to being hurt._

"You know what we need, Potter?"

"Huh?" Harry was little bit intimidated by the fraudulent look in the blonde's grey eyes. But he would never admit it. Just as he would never admit that seeing this decadent being in pajamas, with tousled hair, all drenched in moonlight, he was feeling enchanted.

"We need to get drunk!" now Malfoy was madly grinning.

Harry sighed. _Some people never change._

"Firstly, we are both two weak for it to end well. And secondly, you alcoholic, where will we get liquor at this time of night? I am pretty sure that we have no hope of getting out of here now. None. Zip. Nada."

"As much as I like your little never-ending tirades, you surprise me with your lack of insight. We are wizards, you ignoramus," Malfoy sneered. "I have my own whisky stack here at school. What did you thing I had in those trunks that was so heavy? Clothes?"

"Good, then summon some and let's get loaded!"


	5. The Raving Lunatic of Hogwarts

_**A**uthor's Note: I think I have gotten myself deep in a mess. This story is getting to be freaking serious. I had even to do some research on some facts and they all have miraculously lined up to form a plot like little obedient ants. But I CAN'T stop writing. I feel actually weirded out that somebody is even reading this and thank you few for that:)_

_Note to Author's Note: I have always liked reading A/N's in the beginnings of fanfics so while feeling a need to express myself I know i have all rights to do it:) And don't hesitate to tell what you dislike, hate, find weird, wrong or even liked in the story up so far in the reviews. I want to know!_

**5- The Raving Lunatic of Hogwarts**

What both boys hadn't expected was that they would get drunk so swiftly. They had downed only a few swigs of the liquor when they were already giggling and tittering all over the infirmary.

"Imagine the irony of the situation, Potter," Draco sat in front of him, cross-legged, gesticulating with his hands so they seemed to become elegant Veela succumbed in a dance. They had settled in with their drinking procedure on the chilly tiled floor between their beds where they had fallen after a particularly funny joke and hadn't still mustered the will and strength to climb up again. "We are here, at Hogwarts, said to be the safest place where you can be in this tight political situation with a Headmaster that is the only person the Dark Lord is afraid of, but almost anybody with enough desire and slyness can get in and attack two innocent and unaware students in the middle of the day. And then disappear without a trace. I mean, who knows what the others thought of finding us, tangled together in an unused classroom, laying on each other."

"That's not funny, actually. What if they think I was the one who bit you, Malfoy?" Harry sobered immediately; feeling like someone had poured a bucket of freezing cold water all over him. The smile that had been on his face as a result of the lightheadedness they had both achieved through the alcohol vanished all of a sudden.

"Well, it isn't actually incorrect; you _were_ the one who bit me, Potter," there was a mischievous glint in the blonde's eyes, it looked almost scary when Harry thought of the schemes and plots his brain could be cooking up that very moment. The half smirk, half grin on his face made him look like a puppy that had chewed up the sofa and was feeling proud of it. "But I don't think you have to worry about someone thinking that you have turned into a vampire. Your beloved Dumbly with protect you no matter what."

"Actually, I don't think that Dumbledore is in such a state of mind that somebody will take him seriously. He has become a raving lunatic over the past week from what I have seen," the mood had changed. Even Draco wasn't making jokes anymore. Suddenly somehow brought back to reality was the awareness that they had really been attacked. They had really both seen the dream with Voldemort. And it really was serious.

"Raving lunatic, huh?" Draco finally spoke, his tone flat. "So you think he might not be able to help?"

"I actually doubt that anyone on this planet can help us. You saw the dream. Voldemort really did make a determined impression. And… I think… this time he was after you…"

They sat facing each other, leaning against the sides of their beds, staring at the floor and their feet. Malfoy then reached for the bottle and started drinking almost hysterically. One long breath, countless gulps, he was sticking to the whisky bottle for his dear life. For a few seconds Harry just stared at him in shock, mouth agape. Then he realized the possible consequences of this maniacal action, collected himself and rushed for the bottle.

"Easy, Malfoy!" he tore it away from the boys lips, some liquid escaped and ran a bit down his chin while caughed because of the strong liquor burning his throat, but Harry hoped he had managed to save the other boy from alcohol poisoning and vomiting all over the place.

The Slytherin was staring at Harry with his silver eyes wide open like a little child's. Fear and confusion were swimming just under the surface, behind the dilated pupils, that gave away his drunkenness.

And, God, he looked beautiful. Maybe it was Harry's hero complex speaking, but the blonde seemed to be a delicate and fragile porcelain doll that wanted to forget this world, run away form it all. In this frozen moment Harry held the other boy's slim wrists in his hands, just to stop him from reaching for the bottle. He then realized that he was squeezing so hard that he could feel the rushing pulse against his fingers. The smaller boy's shoulders seemed frail and a bit slouched. His lips were slightly parted, as if wanting to protest or say something. Or even express his surprise that Harry had rushed for him.

"Let me drink myself to death… I am not you, I can't live like this, Harry," the first name maybe just slipped, or he tried to suck up to the Gryffindor and was naïve enough to believe that there was even the slightest possibility that Harry would allow that.

"Who is now becoming suicidal?" Harry tried to smirk, although he really didn't find anything funny in this situation. His heart was pounding like after a hike around the world; it had jumped into his throat, smothering him and the proximity of Draco was driving him crazy, but there was no way in hell he would back off now.

"Well," Malfoy squeezed a nervous laugh out of himself. He licked his lips and Harry stayed mesmerized at the delicious motion and didn't even notice how his grip slackened. "Well, I would say you're walking a fine line at that, too."

"How's that?"

"Firstly, that is your nature to act as if you have nothing to loose," Draco looked in the other boy's frighteningly bright green eyes, his own usually silver irises now being close to completely black, intense and making the hairs at the back of Harry's neck stand up. "Secondly, by being this close to me-"

Draco swiftly managed to free his hands from the other's grasp and grabbing Harry's face to pull him in a fierce kiss.

From the shock of it, Harry lost balance and fell to the floor with Draco on top, straddling him. He answered the possessive kiss, fighting the urge to bite the sweet whisky-tasting lips that were on his own.

The way both boys had fought in the past with each other, the power of the animosity between them and urge to make each other shatter had now narrowed and concentrated on the feel of their lips, teeth and tongues, the pins and needles feeling when they touched each other, shock of arousal running through their bodies leaving the boys flushed and trembling.

Draco's slim fingers had tangled in Harry's thick black locks, pulling and tugging with raw force as the smaller boy dragged the other back in a sitting position by his hair and tilted the head to the side or back so he could bite and nip on Harry's throat or neck.

Harry had nimbly managed to unbutton Draco's pajama top, pulling it from the boy's shoulders, eager to feel more of the soft, silky skin under his palms. Every time Draco had reached a more sensitive spot and done something to it that felt particularly good, his nails would unwarily dig into the flesh or scratch it.

Either struggled for power and domination over each other, with their brutal and forceful kissing and groping that would leave marks for at least a few days to come.

Both of them were panting when they paused, leaning their foreheads together, their bodies longing for a rest, but still craving for more until there could be no possible continuation.

Harry opened his eyes to see a flushed Draco before him, his long silver lashes trembling, and lips bruised red. He was surprised to find that the other boy was not skinny or scrawny as it used to appear while he was clothed. He had a fantastic, lean and slender, but still a strong and firmly muscled body. His skin was milky all over, and where it stretched over Draco's shapely shoulders or the accented line of his spine, its pronounced cartilages, it glistened in the light the same way silk does.

Harry leaned down to kiss the collarbone; he licked his throat, nibbling the Adam's apple so that Draco's breathing hitched for a moment. The boy's head dropped back, as if giving better access or just because of the satisfaction.

The rhythm had now changed; it was no longer fast and needy. Their touches now lingered for a moment longer than previously, they were more tempting, in their confidence and the explicitness of their wants.

In an instant, Harry had gathered Draco in his arms, the task being easy, given that he was slightly bigger than the other boy and pulled them up from the cold flagstones and put the Slytherin in one of the beds lying down on top of him, pressing their bodies together. He gasped after a slight movement as their erections pressed together through the thin fabric of the infirmary pajamas. Draco tore Harry's shirt off and devoured his lips, tongue lusting after more of everything. Harry pressed once again into the boy underneath him, thus managing to pull a long and sensual moan from Draco who wrapped his legs around him tightly; as if he wanted to never let go. But then he slyly pulled Harry's trousers off with his feet while toying with the other's nipples.

Harry sucked in a sharp breath as the cool air of the infirmary came into contact with his erection, but moments later it was surrounded by the warm feel of Draco's hands.

He tugged his own hands under the constricting waistband of the blonde's pajama bottoms and took up caressing the cock with light hand movements. Draco hissed and pressed himself more firmly in Harry's hand: "You're a bloody tease…"

Harry smirked against Draco's lips: "Otherwise it's not fun." He pulled off the trousers finally and massaged the tip of Draco's cock with his thumb.

"Harry…" the other boy moaned and hid his head in the curve between Harry's shoulder and neck.

"You feel good…" the Gryffindor just reveled in the smell of Draco's hair and skin, took delight in touching him and feeling the delicious tremors that ran through the other's body as he pressed closer.

"Not as good as you," Draco once again claimed Harry's lips by his own and with a collective groan they came, holding to each other through the aftermath, taking pleasure in the feel of each other.

--

Draco had had this small seed of anticipation that it could never end so good as it had. All through the night he had been afraid, even expected Harry to break it all off. Every sharp notion had sent a shiver through him because it felt as if the other boy was just sleepwalking, not really registering what they were doing and he feared to wake him up. He had been afraid to say something, as if that could remind Harry _whom_ exactly he was snogging.

All through the uneasy waking up in the middle of the night, then the realization that if Voldemort tries just a little bit harder, they will both be dead, even through the drunken dizziness and the fever of touches and kisses Draco had repeated to himself like a mantra that he will and he wants to take this as far as it goes and that he will not regret anything. _As far as it goes, till there are no more possibilities._

It seemed that by the time they fell asleep all the alcohol was out of their systems. The whisky had only given them courage, so to say, to do something, but looking back, the motives were their own, not the liquor speaking.

And now, as he woke up in what seemed almost a cold bed, with no Harry in it, a sudden pain gripped his gut.

"Shit…" he mumbled sleepily, cursing the bloody righteous Gryffindor.

As he sat up and halfway swung his legs over the edge of the bed his feet collapsed with something warm and firm. He peered over and on the tiled floor, tangled in the bed sheets, naked and god-like was sleeping one Harry Potter.

He started to move and twitch while unconsciously struggling to remain asleep a bit longer; apparently Draco had hit him with his feet too hard and woken the other boy up.

"Mmmmorning," he yawned and cracked his eyes open and when he began stretching, he noticed that firstly, he was naked; secondly he was on the floor. "I was going to ask you, why the hell you're staring at me like that, but now I just want to ask you, what am I doing on the floor?"

Draco snorted: "How should I know? I was sleeping. These beds are not made for two people, after all."

"Well, maybe you kicked me out," Harry sat up and ran a hand through his hair. "God, my back hurts… And it's cold!"

Draco gazed as Harry tried to struggle free of the sheet that was twined around him like a snake. He had an amazing view from where he was sitting on the bed.

His looking was a little more than just blatant, but Draco realized that only when Harry looked back at him, now all wrapped in the poor abused sheet, and glared: "Peeping, _Malfoy_?"

"No, would never imagine to something so shameless!" Draco grinned wickedly at Harry and tried pull his own sheet around him closer because the Gryffindor was trying to steal a few glances at him as pay-back.

At that moment the door of the infirmary opened and Madame Pomfrey came in. She looked at them both happily: "Oh, you're awake!"

Both boys looked at her with innocent expressions on their faces, only slightly blushing. She came closer and raised a suspicious eyebrow at the state of both beds, their lack of clothes and the half full bottle of whisky.

"He fell out of the bed, isn't that funny?" the Slytherin smiled sweetly at the nurse.

"Yeah, and it was SO HOT during the night, you should do something about the heeting, Madame," Harry tried to remain serious and rose to get into his bed.

The nurse looked at them both again and then at the clothes that were scattered all over place like some troll army had attacked them both during the night. She just took the bottle and inspected it.

"We found that under a bed," Draco suggested helpfully, nodding his head as if to suffice his point.

"Well, alright, get dressed and I will be back for an inspection. And the Headmaster wanted me to tell you that he will be expecting the both of you in his office after lunch," with that she turned around and exited the infirmary.

Draco and Harry smiled conspiratorially at each other. Then the Slytherin looked around and mustered: "She stole my whisky!"

--

He didn't understand how Harry could seem to feel so comfortable in the Headmaster's office. When they had entered the room, Dumbledore was sleeping in his chair and as the phoenix had screeched at Draco whom he saw for the first time, the old man woke up. He looked horribly tired.

"Oh, Harry, mister Malfoy, please sit down," he didn't even stand up, seeming too tired and week to do that.

As Harry proceeded to explain what had happened, excluding the kissing and the last night in the infirmary, Draco felt as if he was sucked, without his consent, in the world of Harry Potter where the other boy often sat in this very office, retelling the occurrence of events, relying on his own reasoning faculty, trying to tell all the necessary details and what seemed of importance to him. Draco shivered at the thought that someday there wouldn't be any Harry to tell others what had happened and they would just have to guess, judging by the obvious facts they had access to.

After a long pause of silence, in which Dumbledore just leaned on his hands thinking: "It does seem unusual that a ghost attacked you in this castle, and you are really lucky your fellow students found you both so soon. It would seem more logical if, as you say it was just like a vampire's attack, there had been a real vampire."

"With all due respect, Professor, a real vampire would have never had the possibility to cross the wards surrounding this place. A ghost, on the other hand, doesn't get even noticed. Maybe Voldemort just wanted to put Harry in a compromising situation. If I were dead and couldn't testify in Harry's defense, he would be considered a murderer. Maybe not sent to Azkaban but it would wreck the trust put upon him by all means," Draco was irritated by the way Dumbledore seemed not to believe Harry. Maybe he really was a raving lunatic.

"I understand that you have this point of view, but how can you be sure that Voldemort was planning this?" Dumbledore leaned slightly on the table in Draco's direction. "It could have been any restless ghost that believed to be a vampire and could have obliviated you both."

"I saw a Voldemort dream again, Professor. It was about the ghost, her name is Miranda, returning to Voldemort. There were almost all the Death Eaters. And I _know _to say that the attack was really planned. Although it seems that the target wasn't me, but instead Draco. They were talking about him turning into a vampire. Miranda had failed, but it was pretty obvious anyway. It _was_ Voldemort. And we need to make sure that the ghost or any other creatures don't get on Hogwarts grounds. They might try it again," Harry seemed almost angry with the Headmaster.

But the old man seemed to be ignorant of the truth: "Harry, it is impossible that any of Voldemort's spies could have gotten into Hogwarts. Not even mentioning that they could have gotten close to both of you. And I am most definite that your both memories have been charmed so that you would think that someone was in danger. I can assure you that Hogwarts is as safe as it has always been. There is no need to worry. Maybe it was some student's prank."

"But-" Harry and Draco both tried to argue but Dumbledore just fixed a steady and hard stare at them.

"You both are excused. Have a good day."

--

"FUCK!!!" Harry yelled at all his might once they got out of the castle. He looked ready to punch and kick to the ground everyone that just didn't look at him the right way.

"You were right. A raving lunatic indeed," Draco quietly murmured.

Harry looked at him: "He's off his rocker, just bloody lost his mind. If someone had told me that, I would have never believed Dumbledore could ever be so whacked."

"Whacked? That's putting it nicely. The man's acting as if he'd been up all night, gotten dressed in a tie-dried robe with nothing underneath, smoked a Chernobyl cannabis bush and after dancing around a bit with a hula-hoop bent over and let his hippy friends stick daisies up his ass!" Draco leaned against the tree under which Harry had sat down and settled into staring blankly into the lake. "I just can't still convince myself that I witnessed it. The guy behaved as there was nothing wrong with this world; as if there was no Voldemort running around zapping with Unforgivable Curses everyone who just isn't his type. He simply refused didn't believe you. You! The Golden Fighter of truth and safety of every person who was dropped on the floor at birth! I mean, they're at your feet all the time. You could play king of the world if you felt inclined to."

Harry looked up at Draco from where he sat, gazing at the other boy with a worried look as he tried to get rid of every white molecule from his black turtleneck sweater: "Um, Draco?"

"Yeah, what?" the blonde looked at him and Harry felt his breath taken away seeing his eyes that in the light of day looked a color of quicksilver. His hair as it was now at an untamable point of length fell into his eyes and from time to time was swaying in the slight breeze.

"Do you appear to be concerned by all of this because you really are concerned or just because it applies to your safety, too?"

"Because I was there! Because I know what happened and how it is. Because I know the truth and Dumbledore is playing an ignorant prick. Because I know that it concerns not only my safety but your also." He squatted next to Harry and with a sincere but harshly serious look in his eyes continued. "I have seen, experienced and grown up seeing and learning the technique and patterns of Voldemort's schemes and plots. He wants to get to us both with one shot. Look at the strategy of yesterday's attack, Harry, if he just wanted me turned in a vampire or dead the ghost would have used some stupid second-year to get to me, not you. He knew you are powerful and would fight the bitch."

--

When Harry entered the Gryffindor Tower he felt tired. The flashbacks of his conversation with Dumbledore, the night with the blond Slytherin and the previous day's attack on them both were restlessly haunting his mind. He slouched next to Hermione on the common room couch where she was quietly sitting reading a book that looked like it weighed a ton.

"Harry, how did it go with Dumbledore?" she turned her attention to the black haired boy.

Harry thanked the gods that during lunch he had been able to satisfy the interest of his housemates regarding his short stay in the infirmary not letting anything slip that shouldn't be public knowledge. And now when he was feeling dead tired he wouldn't have to go over all that again.

"Like digging around a bag full of shit to find out that it is just a bag of shit."

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows at him; she had never liked using profanities to express one's state of mind. "And in English?"

"Useless and nervebreaking. Dumbledore didn't believe me. He said that we have been memory charmed and that there was no way that Voldemort could have gotten some ghost into the castle to attack Dr-Malfoy… And Malfoy thinks that it was meant to get to us both. He thinks Voldemort is trying to hit two birds with one stone, so to say."

Hermione shook her head: "But that's just too weird, why would You-Know-Who send someone to attack Lucius Malfoy's, one of his strongest Death Eaters, son?"

Harry looked at her with simple honesty in his eyes: "He ran away after returning from school this summer because he didn't want to become a Voldemort's butt licker. From what he says, his father has as well as disowned him. Lucius wouldn't have a problem with allowing a house elf disembowel him with a tea spoon. That's why when we went drinking that night he gave you his scout's parole- he lived in the Muggle world during all summer, Herm."

She just stared with eyes wide open: "Wow, I would have thought he had it in him. But I still can't understand why Dumbledore didn't believe you… Something must be wrong with him… Or maybe he just didn't want to admit that Hogwarts is not as safe as it used to be."

"Well, that's why I have decided to try and solve this problem on my own. I would like you to research a bit on vampire ghosts," she nodded her consent and closed the book ready to get into it already. Harry was rumbling through the pockets of his robe looking worried, but then he pulled out a small scrap of parchment. "And this one also, please. I don't know what it means, but I heard it in my dream, I'm not even sure that's how you write it, but try to find some things about it, please."

Hermione took the scrap and looked at the word there: "Wyvern?"

"Yeah, I think it would help a lot on the fact why Malfoy didn't change into a vampire. But now I just want to sleep like a dead dog, bye," Harry stood up, finally feeling a bit better having confided in somebody even if it was only partially.

"Okey Harry, I'll get down to the library right now, good night."


	6. Psychopathia Sexualis

**6- ****Psychopathia Sexualis**

As his fist collapsed with the boy's jaw he felt a sudden flash of pain, but in an instant the adrenaline rushing through his veins swallowed it and once again there was this hollow, empty sensation of nothingness in his mind. The other had staggered backwards and slightly bent clutching his face. He didn't even give time for his victim to recover; he just grabbed his cloak and threw him against the nearest wall. There was a howl like an injured animal's cutting through the air and another one as Harry pounded his fist in the boy's stomach. He thought he felt the hard structure of one of the lower ribs, but then it gave way, slightly bending in. Maybe it broke.

A strange feeling to break something that should stay whole… Like an elephant in a dishware shop without any sense of regret. It somehow made him think of himself being a god, The God. Finally destroying something that should have never seen sunlight.

And with that thought he seized the face of his victim and bashed the back of his head a few times against the hard stone wall. He didn't count; maybe it was three or six times.

And then the blood appeared. It made his gut wrench. But not in disgust. No, in hunger.

The red liquid of life was oozing from the nose, it was on his fingers, it was even on the wall, it was in the victim's blonde hair. He leaned in and while humming licked little of the blood that was dribbling down the left temple.

As he straightened back, he found the silver eyes looking at him intensely. He couldn't make out the emotions behind. There was some fear, hatred, as well there was the damned pride, but the strongest emotion that made them shimmer and hold his own stare with such intensity was…

--

Harry jumped up in his bed, his heart pounding, pulse racing. His hands were shaking, _he_ was shaking. He realized that he was panting so loudly it could be heard all over the dormitory.

He had been hitting _Draco_ in his dream.

_He_ had been hitting Draco in his dream…

He had been _hitting_-

No matter how many times he repeated it in his head, it didn't make it more believable.

He had never dreamt of something like that, never been the one for violence. More to that, he didn't want to hit Draco. And certainly not with such hatred and strength and lack of remorse and-

-hunger?

He chose to take a short shower instead of going directly back to sleep. Harry had no intentions of seeing the dream once again.

Leaning his head against the tiles of the shower wall he tried to make out what had happened in the last few days that could have inspired his subconscious to create such images. Nothing, the weekend had gone smoothly, nothing similar to the attack had taken place, he hadn't even seen Draco so often. They encountered each other in some classes, but only bypassing and sharing a few smirks, as if they had arranged wordlessly that _that_ had been a one time thing and nothing more.

Not that Harry was uncomfortable with it. He had just decided not to ponder about it. Actually, he didn't even want to get into it.

Just something had changed; over the summer or generally.

And there had been alcohol involved; they had both gone through a hell of an experience.

Harry hit his forehead against the wall; he had promised himself he wouldn't get into it! Because every time he had to find a reasonable explanation it sounded stupid. It just sounded like a lousy excuse- _my dog ate my homework! I was drunk! He looked like a girl! _

He hit his head again in hopes to get the stupid thoughts out. He had once heard of meditation that helped when you were injured. For example, if your leg was broken and it hurt like hell, if you broke an arm, forgetting all about the leg.

Maybe it was what his subconscious was doing right now. Instead of kissing Draco, he tried to think of hitting him.

_Almost killing him, more like it…_

He then tried to think of the last dream he had. It was the Voldemort dream…

And Draco had seen it, too. He hoped the Slytherin hadn't seen this one; it would make him seem like a dominatrix with no restraint. Or maybe it had been Draco's dream…

Harry growled and turned the water as cold as he could.

--

Monday breakfasts were always horrible. Sleepy, irritated faces everywhere, forks, spoons and knives falling to the ground, creating an unbearable noise all over the Great Hall and in the middle of it all- double Potions.

Harry came into the large hall dragging his feet and slouched in a seat next to Hermione who seemed to be the only sufferable person in the whole world recently. He hadn't gotten much sleep after his shower and now was feeling irritated and passive aggressive. He stabbed his toast with a knife and started munching it.

_Been h__aving wet dreams of me, Potter?_

A voice with a familiar drawling quality to it reached Harry's mind as if from a long distance. He turned to Hermione and asked: "What did you say, Hermione?"

The girl looked baffled and looked around suspiciously: "Nobody said anything, Harry. There isn't much talk going on at Monday breakfasts, you know that."

"Oh," maybe he had just imagined it.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione inquired, leaning slightly forward. She was the only one that knew about the intensity of the attack and how strongly fighting off the girl vampire had affected Harry. It had made the Imperious Curse seem like a child's game. But surely he wouldn't still be feeling the affects.

"Yeah, I'm alright, just haven't slept is all," he answered discarding his friend's doubts.

_I'm in your head, dickhead._ Came the voice again.

Harry started and peered suspiciously at his toast, still impaled on the knife.

_There's a voice in my head?__ And it's swearing at me?_

_Yeah, and m__y name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy._ Hearing the answer he looked around the Great Hall to find the Slytherin smirking at him.

_Malfoy, why are you in my head? Did you drug me or something?_

If the boy could have been able to laugh in his head, with no doubts, he would have done that. _Or something. It's the bond we have. I did some research over the weekend and it turns out that because of the vampire we can do some pretty neat stuff that others can't. This being an illustrative example for the mentally challenged._

Harry just sank in his chair, wanting to hide from everyone. The connection between them wasn't just something he had made up in his drunken mind.

_Shit. But I still find it funny that you were sitting in the library on a free day. It's something even Hermione does rarely._

_Whatever. It was worth it. At first I thought it wouldn't work because I have never done something like this, but voila! This telepathy is meant for the vampire to be able always find his mate no matter where the other is and then Apparate to him; or her. At first we are able to communicate only if we see each other. But with a little practice, I suppose we can get to perfection easily._ Malfoy was chatting like he was talking about a present with miraculous abilities, like an electronic puppy from Japan or something.

_Stop! First- you said vampire, I'm not a vampire or hadn't you noticed?!_

_Judging from the dream you're not a far cry from that._ Draco just sneered a little harder if that was even possible. Harry thought his face would split if he just tried to make the sneer even more pronounced.

_You saw it, too?_

_Yeah, seems that further on we will always see the same dreams. You will see mine and I yours. I suppose the last night was your part, pretty aggressive you are there, I might say._

_I highly doubt it was my dream.__ But I'll let it slip just this time._

_And what's the second?_

_Pardon?_

_You said- firstly. So there has to be a 'secondly', too._

_Oh, we straightened it out that I was not a vampire. But what did you say about the mate? A mate?! I mean, come on, you're a guy, I'm a guy. There can't be a lot of MATING happening, if you ask me. I didn't even think vampire's had mates. I thought it was only an animal and Veela thing. Don't their dicks just kinda' rot off or something like that because they're technically dead?_

_Merlin, Potter you're stupid. They are the LIVING dead. Nothing rots off. __By the way, thank you for the small insight in anatomy, and yes, vampires have mates. Only unlike animals 'or Veela' as you nicely put it, they can choose their mates, they create them. I suppose it was supposed that I will change, too. But we heard in the Voldemort dream that's not likely to happen. And you don't change because you should have been a vampire already when you bit me, but I think it gets also unimportant because Miranda changed you into a vampire for that short period so you could bite me. So that about explains it all._

Harry was just looking at Draco with a shocked expression on his face, slouching even more in his chair. _You're my MATE? And can't we break the bond or change it?_

_Thank you for the compliment. You know, Potter, I'm not too happy with being stuck with you, too. But I think we can break this only if one of us dies. _

Harry brightened up like spring sunshine. _So, Malfoy, don't feel like dying today coincidentally?_

_You must think of yourself as a stand-up comedian, but I really just can't understand your jokes. Anyway, __I think there was this chapter in the book I was reading about soul binding, so I suppose that even dying wouldn't be a possibility. So no quenching your blood thirst today, sorry._

_W__hy didn't I hear you before in my mind? I mean, if we have this bond thing going since the attack…_

_It's called mind conversation, not mind reading, Potter. I had to concentrate really hard to reach you. _

_But why does it seem to come so easy to me then?_

_Merlin, I don't know, it's like asking why does flying come so easy to you or any of those other skills you have. It's just one of those little perks of being Harry Potter. And stop asking all those questions, it's getting annoying._

_Then be so kind and get out of my head for a while and give me space to breath._

_Have a good day, you too._

--

Potions was insufferable as always, and Harry had just too much on his mind to care about some mashing, bashing or mixing together of some liquids and dead animals. He spent most part of his morning operating in auto-pilot, experiencing all things as if through a haze.

He stopped to look around, and realized that he had gotten lost on his way to the DADA classroom and started walking in the direction of voices.

"Nein, nein, ich denke, dass ich fähig diese Studenten zu kontrolieren bin. Alles wirt okey sein. Aber jedenfalls, danke für deine Sorgen, Albus," a woman's voice was talking in a language Harry didn't recognise. But he did understand the last word. Dumbledore.

There they were. The woman and Dumbledore were talking. And there was also Madame Pomfrey leaning against a windowsill looking irritated, apparently she didn't understand them also. Or was she jealous?

"Wenn du etwas brauchst oder jemand von den Stundten hat was blödes getan, sie sind meistens artig, trotzdem du solst mir das mitteilen. Niemand ja weiss, weil die Leute denken, dass diese Stelle verflucht ist. Und danke dir nochmal für diene Hilfe," it sounded funny to hear the Headmaster talking in what seemed to be German. Harry decided to use this opportunity to have a word with Dumbledore.

"Professors, Madame," Harry came forward, feeling weird talking in English.

"Oh, Harry!" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled seeing the boy. He gestured towards the unfamiliar woman. "This is your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Alexandra Wolf. I would have introduced her at breakfast, but she only just arrived. Alex, this is Harry Potter, I believe he is going to have your class now."

The woman appeared to be friendly. She had dark red hair, not like the Weasleys', but more to the brown side and bright green eyes. She was short, almost at Harry's height, and had a lean body that still appeared to be physically strong.

"It's nice to meet you, Harry. I have heard a lot about you, but it's always different meeting in person," she did have a slight accent, but nothing too pronounced.

He smiled in response and then turned to Dumbledore: "Um, Professor, I wanted to ask you something… about the extracurricular lessons with you."

"Oh, yes, had forgotten absolutely about that!" his eyes twinkled and he looked at Madame Pomfrey who seemed to be loosing her patience. "This is such a wonderful world that is so fantastic to be living in and do you really want to spend time sitting in a classroom learning wandless magic?"

"Wandless magic? Is that what it was supposed to be on?" Harry exclaimed.

"Yes, I didn't tell you that? Sorry," Dumbledore looked at the school nurse once again with a look that was most probably meant just for her.

"Er, I still want to do it," Harry suddenly felt uncomfortable as if he were talking to a wall. The Headmaster's thoughts seemed to be somewhere else entirely.

"Alright then, I think I can arrange it during your Divination lessons. Would it be fine for you?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks, Professor," Harry beamed.

"Alright, then we should get going. See you on Thursday, Harry," with that Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey departed.

"So, we should find the classroom. I suspect you know the way, I'm still a bit confused and disoriented," the professor smiled at him and Harry took up showing the direction.

"I heard you were in Germany. What exactly was the project you were working on, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Well, I come from Germany, but I was the main researcher in a project suppressing a vampire attack in Bremen. At the time it seemed that You-Know-Who was behind it all because it involved a strange technique. They used vampire ghosts. That was something that we had to break our heads over for a while because they're not so easy to kill like the ordinary ones."

Harry's heart started racing. _This was it!_ For the time being he decided to play along.

"Vampire ghosts, really? That's unheard of. Can vampires really have ghosts? And how do you kill them?"

"Yeah, it was weird. They had used some spell that made an exchange- they extinguish the vampire physical creature, but in return get the soul back from Afterlife. And the soul is technically still a vampire, but can only operate while in control of another body. They have created a small chaos, but in the end they turned out to be useless in a battle. Their commander tried to kill our men with his ghosts succumbed in their bodies impaling them over sharp objects or casting the Killing Curse on themselves. But with every one of our fighters dying, the ghosts passed on, too. You know, ghosts only stay in our world if they didn't die properly… I'm sorry; it must be really boring to be listening to all of this, but it's all just so fresh, you know, I haven't had even enough time to get relaxed," she smiled shyly at Harry.

"No, not at all. It's actually real fun finding out new things."

"Oh, that's great. I did tell Albus that I could handle students," they came to a halt in front of a classroom door from which really loud and hysterical sounding voices were coming. "I guess we're here."

--

After lunch Harry had had a flying practice and it exhausted him to no end. He came back to the Gryffindor Tower feeling once again hungry although lunch had been only a few hours ago. He laid down on the couch resting his head against Hermione's shoulder.

"How did the practice go?" she asked not even raising her eyes from the book.

"I'm knackered. Ron is a really evil captain. But at least he apologised. We're kinda' friends again," he made himself more comfortable on the girl's shoulder and almost fell asleep until her turning a page in the book startled him.

"I found out about vampire ghosts from the new DADA teacher. Now I know that they really exist, because it was weird that you were not able to find any references in the library, and that Voldemort's Death Eaters created them using some sort of spell. But it's nothing really too important, so it didn't help much," Harry yawned and settled himself in, tucking in his legs on the couch.

Hermione then practically jumped from her seat: "Oh, I almost forgot! I found out a few things about wyverns. It was not much. They're something like heraldic dragons, pure-blood families sometimes choose them to be a protector for people, and it could also be a newborn, what I suppose is Malfoy's case. The family members link the future bearer's, that's what they call the protected person, magic with the wyvern myth and he can never back off from the link, it's like an imprint in the magical signature and also determines slightly the character of the person. The books about wyverns or other protectors didn't say what kind of imprint, so I had to look more deeply in dragons in general, what they stand for. I wrote it down for you, I thought you would find it interesting," she gave him a rolled up parchment and he took it looking at Hermione curiously due to her suspicious way of acting. But she was quick to evade his gaze. "Anyway I found it really captivating. I had never thought of dragons other like vicious and savage magical creatures, and what I found was new to me- they are said to have characters. They seem to have a specific meaning in the Wizarding world-"

"-Potter," Hermione was interrupted by McGonagall walking up to them. "You have detention. The first one. And do try to keep your feet off from the couch."

"When?" Harry sat up and looked, feeling dizzy after the mass of information his friend had provided him with.

"Now, Potter," McGonagall looked at him impatiently. "Now get up, let's go."

"Now? But I'm tired, and hungry!" Harry whined, but the professor had already reached the portrait entrance and didn't look like she was in a good mood. But did she ever?

--

_You're late, asshole!_

"What are you doing here?" Harry exclaimed as he saw Draco Malfoy sitting on a table in the classroom his Head of House had brought him to.

"Mister Malfoy is serving detention like you are. For the same reason, in fact. Now, please, hand over your wand. There will be no magic used in this detention. Your task is to clean this classroom till it shines. It has been unused ever since the infamous Weasley twins had decided they wanted to play a prank during one of my classes," McGonagall looked around, as did Harry. The room really did look destroyed.

_It seems there will be no dinner tonight, Potter._

"I will leave you then, and be warned, both of you- I will not tolerate any fighting!"

With that she left. Harry cast one more glance around the room. It looked burnt. And it smelled.

_Well, Potter? Start cleaning._

"Would you cut that out? It makes me feel creepy," Harry scratched the back of his neck in the uncomfortable silence.

Malfoy was still sitting on the table swinging his feet; he was once again wearing Muggle clothes although they looked more typical to him than all the other had been. A white silk shirt and normal, grey, finally not tight, slacks. And real shoes!

"Did you dress for the occasion, Malfoy? Or you always go around looking like you have a job interview?" he wanted to say something that would really hurt the boy. He wanted to break that damned sneer into an expression of shock. He was dead tired and he had to clean a classroom that could not be cleaned and he didn't need a snotty poofter sneering at him on every possibility.

"As a matter of fact, yes, I did dress to watch you scrubbing the floor, _Potter_," he spat the name out as if he was disgusted even having to say it.

Harry lost his patience. He stalked towards the boy and grabbed a fistful of that damned shirt and hissed out: "You'll be happy if you can even bend to pick up a broom when I'm through with you."

"And what do you intend to do? Pound the living hell out of me just like you tried to do in the dream?"

With that Harry backed off, scared of himself, of what he could do. Of what he _wanted_ to do.

"I would never… I _could _never-"

"As if you don't have it in you," Malfoy just laughed as if he wasn't scared. As if it didn't even affect him. He just started to unbutton his shirt.

"What are you doing now?!"

"Calm down, I just want to show you something," Draco pulled his shirt off and, jumping from the table, turned around.

Harry gasped as he saw three long, deep, parallel welts covered with gore on the blonde's formerly flawless back.

"They just don't heal. I don't know what you did or even how you did it, but here it is," the boy just stood still, he didn't turn back or put his shirt back on. Harry saw it as an invitation; he came a little closer and touched the boy's back. Draco flinched a bit, but then composed himself.

"Do… does it hurt?" Harry held his breath as he saw how the welts and the distance between them matched his own ring, middle and index fingers.

A reluctant nod came as a response.

"Did I- did I really do this? When- the night in the infirmary? I don't even remember…"

"Well, neither do I, I didn't feel anything that could have resulted in such… horror. Only when I took a shower, it hurt like hell. I haven't told anyone, if you're worried about that. I didn't go to Madame Pomfrey or anything like that. I don't even want to answer anyone's questions about it-" his breath hitched as Harry put his palm down where the wounds began.

"I think you should… I mean, who knows what they are and why they don't heal… God, I should just be dragged away to Azkaban. I can't even imagine…" he noticed how Draco had leaned in for his touch as he traced as gently as he could the welts. They felt rough in comparison to Draco's soft skin.

Harry put his other hand on the blonde's hip and pressed closer, keeping one palm on the deep scratches. He laid his head in the crook between Draco's neck and shoulder smelling the sweet scent and warmth radiating from the boy.

"I'm sorry… I don't know…"

Then Draco turned his head and laying one hand on Harry's where it was resting on his hip, spoke into the black hair: "Don't be sorry, I mean… it's not like I mind…"

Harry raised his head slightly and looked at the beautiful face before him. He didn't look worried or hurt even.

And turning back to Harry, Draco said: "I don't know if this has any meaning because of the bond, but… When you bit me, when that vampire in you made you bite me, I felt like you had claimed me. It's nothing I have made up after finding about the bond, it just felt like that. And this is similar, it's your mark on me, like I deserved it, even like I need it… the pain is like a constant reminder… I- I don't know how to express it better…"

They were now standing face to face again, Harry's one hand was still on the scratches and because of that they were pressed closely together. Or maybe it was just an excuse to lean in each other's touch closer.

Harry's hand came up to touch Draco's cheek, tracing a line with his fingers down to the sharp line of his jaw and finally coming to a rest on the nape of Draco's neck tilting his head just a little bit forward as if just were an everyday motion.

Their lips met in a kiss, in a cautious and tentative kiss. At first it was as if asking permission and then exploring a bit further. After a few moments Draco broke off saying: "It tickles."

"What? Oh," Harry looked down, not knowing how to act. Not even knowing what he himself thought of it. "That means it's healing."

"In that case it's healing really fast, because it tickles like hell," Draco said and squirmed a bit as Harry tried to feel up the rough surface of the scratches, thinking that he had lost them while kissing.

"Turn around."

Obediently the Slytherin did so and Harry gasped out loud: "What? What is it? Did you scratch me again? Did you tear them open? If you ruin my shirt, I'll-"

"They're gone. There's not even a scar left. They just disappeared…" Harry said and looked at his hands. "I didn't do anything… I swear…"

A/N: Translation to the German dialogue, thought you might need it;p hehe-

Alex: No, no, I think that I'm able to control these students. But thank you for your concern, Albus.

Dumbly: If you need anything or someone from the students, they are mostly obedient, has done something stupid, you have to notify me. Nobody knows, because people think that this post is cursed. And thanks one more time for your help.


	7. Teachers and Lessons

_**Author' s Note: **Wanted to thank those who have reviewed so far, I suppose it's safe to say that the introduction part of this story has come to an end with this chapter and in the next ones you will surely find out answers to some of the riddles previously mentioned and the more serious things are going to start happening, so fasten your seat belts, ladies and gentlemen, we are going down. _

_I still am having problems of keeping this story out of my head, it is becoming something annoying and I wish I could have more time and note this to yourselves- never try to write while drunk, never drink on a thursday evening, and never try to explain your stories in a **bad** gay club to which people come to get laid. I almost messed up all the plotlines..._

_Oh, and **njferrell** actualy thanks a great deal for your reviews, you seem to catch me off guard, and you have helped a lot, albeit a bit unknowingly;p , pointing out some things I overlooked while writing and helping me keep the plot straight. _

_With no further delay I bring you the last of the boring part (at least to me they seem so..). Enjoy! _

_-MercurialLeo-_

**7- ****Teachers and Lessons**

Harry had literally jumped off Malfoy after what seemed to be him having healed the blonde. He didn't want to think, nor talk about it and they had just quietly spent their evening trying to restore the demolished classroom. It wasn't long before McGonagall appeared and dismissed them, seeing as nothing more could be done without magic.

After the boys had parted without words, Harry went back to the common room realizing that he was afraid to fall asleep. But all the negative aspects of seeing any dreams, or even worse- seeing Draco's dreams, that had risen to the upper surface of his mind were easily washed away as he fell into his bed and seemingly switched off the reality.

Harry only woke up when Ron had returned back from breakfast to the dormitory to get a couple of books. The boy shook Harry awake: "Get up, mate, blimey, did you sleep in your clothes? You better start moving because you're gonna miss Charms if you don't hurry."

With a little of Ron's help they both managed to arrive on time to Flitwick's class. They sat down next to Hermione that whispered to them: "Glamour Charms. And start taking notes!"

As Harry glanced around the room, most of the girls were listening carefully, fervently taking notes and from time to time they even giggled among themselves. Probably they were already making plans on seducing some boys; Harry didn't even want to know if he was one of their potential victims.

Flitwick usually wasn't the one to do a lot of talking, but seemed that he had decided to change his method for this lesson: "White Magic. That's what glamour is mostly called. But they can also be referenced to as beauty spells, enchantments, but those of you, who have chosen Muggle Studies this year and might have heard the term 'make-up', will come to realize that glamour charms basically are its equivalent and serves the same purpose. But maybe someone of you knows one more term that is rarely used to describe glamour charms," the short professor did his best to try and look over all the students. He seemed in a good mood and added a hint: "You have all heard this term, it's popular in both Wizarding and Muggle worlds, but only few know that in most of the earliest literature sources it means glamour charms. Come on, think harder."

"Love spells," came a drawl from behind of the classroom and Harry didn't even turn to see that it was Malfoy speaking.

"I can't believe, I didn't think of that," angrily Hermione muttered under her breath.

"Yes, Mister Malfoy, that is absolutely correct," Flitwick chirped and looked over the classroom that had erupted in whispers and shocked glances. "Maybe, Mister Malfoy, you can tell us more?"

Finally Harry did look around and found Draco looking a bit irritated. It seemed that he had only answered because no one else knew that answer and he was tired of waiting for Flitwick to go on with the lesson. But he clearly didn't want to start lecturing.

"I really don't know much, but it is still clear as day that, for example, in renaissance or rococo periods they would call them love spells because nobody looked really appealing. They didn't wash too often, had wigs on their heads that were basically a breeding farm for head louses. And most of the people were fat as elephants and stank. So if someone looked really 'glamorous' they really stood out becoming a phenomenon. In a meaning that a beautiful woman entered the room everyone would fall for her allure; afterwards thinking she used a spell to make them fall in love. It's mainly, as you, Professor, already said- a literature reference," Malfoy leaned back in his seat, arms once again crossed over his chest. He was smirking, enjoying the possibility to enlighten the class with something no one knew.

"Brilliant Mister Malfoy! Twenty points to Slytherin!" And with this small interlude Flitwick continued with another question. "Now who can tell me why is this type of charms is white magic?"

Hermione raised her arm in an instant and Ron rolled his eyes. After being allowed to speak, the girl said: "They are white magic because essentially they don't require a wand to perform the spells; they can require a potion ingredient, but not the whole brewing process. And mainly because it is never hundred percent sure that the spell will work properly or the desired effect will be achieved."

"Ten points to Gryffindor, thank you Miss Granger. So glamour spells are the trickiest part of magic. They are spells to change or to mask something or someone. But still those are only charms for the eye; they don't change substance as transfiguration spells. Glamour charms alter perception and sometimes are referred to in connection with fairies. But nowadays this magic segment has been commercialized mostly for a target market of females. I will pass on some of the product's that have originated through glamour," Flitwick levitated around some tubes and small cases. "But still there are some more serious applications for white magic. Those are difficult rituals that can exceedingly alter appearance. Can anyone tell the one thing that even the most advanced glamour spells are not good for, what they don't change?"

Lavender Brown reluctantly raised her hand, glancing around nervously, but she seemed to be the only one to know for sure the answer. Hermione skipped the ages of the Charms textbook to find the answer, but her huffing and puffing didn't help.

"Yes, miss Brown?" Flitwick clasped his hands together, curious to hear her answer. Harry figured that it must have been a really difficult question.

"Um, well, from what I have heard, these rituals can go even so far that a person is able to switch his or her gender…" she flushed a bit, not knowing how to explain what she wanted to tell, clearly embarrassed.

"Well, Miss Brown, you can give an example, not try to strain yourself by providing us a strictly theoretical answer. I would have a hard time myself," the professor smiled sympathetically at the girl.

Lavender brightened a bit and after thinking a bit started out: "Um… If a girl uses a glamour charm to change herself into a boy because she would want to attract a boy that is… er… homosexual… she would never be able to charm him. Because even if she looked like the sexiest boy alive, she would still stay a girl on the inside and radiate her real gender to the boy…"

The class fell silent for a moment. No one could ever think that something like that was possible. Some people started giggling and whispering, others just gazed at the professor to hear if it was true.

"Thank you very much, Miss Brown. Thirty points to Gryffindor," Flitwick just looked over the class that had settled in a weird silence. "That is a fact, actually, that glamour charms are linked together with sexual desires and the magical energy radiating from each person. You might be surprised to hear that even this energy has a gender. And that although glamour charms are meant to entrance people; they can never cross the boundaries of gender magic and/or sexual preferences."

"Maybe Lavender had tried something like that and now knows it's not possible," Ron whispered in Harry's ear as the dark-haired boy was looking at one of the magical facial glamour cream tubes. The redhead snickered as he looked at the girl.

"I don't think she has tried it herself. I mean, she's not good even at the simplest charms, but something like a complex ritual could be manageable for her?" Harry expressed his doubts.

"Mate, you can never know what a girl is ready to do to get a guy, even if she knows he is gay," Ron just looked at his friend meaningfully before shivering at getting up since the class was now over.

--

The next lessons went smoothly; Harry even tried to engage himself in various conversations with his housemates. When the Gryffindors came down for dinner, some boys whistled in the direction of the teacher's table.

"Look at Madame Pomfrey, Harry," Seamus nudged him as he sat down.

"I'm looking. So what? Is there something wrong with her?" to Harry the school nurse looked just like always.

"She's bloody hot, mate!" Harry looked again after hearing Ron's exclamation, but still, the nurse just like she always did.

"Um, aren't you all a _little bit_ too young for her? I mean, she's about Dumbledore's age…"

Some of the boys at the table had the decency to blush. But many still stole glances her way. Harry looked over them worriedly and leaned to Hermione: "Herm, when did the guys start falling for Pomfrey? It's kinda' weird, don't you think?"

The girl looked at him and then over his shoulder at the other boys who were almost drooling: "It's been like this since the school started this year. You were just so shut off that you didn't hear them talking about the nurse constantly. She's not here at mealtimes always. And she looks just as tired as Dumbledore does. But I have heard that boys from all houses try to get in the infirmary without any real reason. So Pomfrey has put some wards around the wing to let through only the really injured ones. That's why we weren't allowed to visit you when you were brought there with Malfoy."

"Oh, yeah, you both didn't visit me… I hadn't even noticed that…" Harry started to feel a little awkward.

"What- you didn't notice? Harry! We always visit you in the infirmary; didn't it strike you as odd?" Hermione looked at the boy reproachfully.

"Um, I had other things on my mind then…" Harry blushed and desperately wished to find something to change the subject. "Maybe Madame Pomfrey is using some glamour charms, don't you think? The way everyone's acting, is kinda' strange."

"No, I just think their hormones have started to kick in is all. Besides it's always like that- you learn a new thing and then try to find references in real life for it. Glamour charms aren't as popular, everyone knows that they don't actually make people fall in love."

Harry nodded and turned back to his soup.

--

"So Harry, how's it going with Malfoy? Still feel carefree around him?" Lupin said as Harry had sat down in his usual chair in the ex-professor's sitting room.

"I don't want to talk about him," Harry stood up again, feeling restless. His day had been good so far, mainly because it didn't involve Malfoy too much, so he didn't even want to remind himself of the problem he would have to deal sooner or later.

"Alright, but I still heard about the attack on you two, it was just after the last lesson with me, wasn't it? I hope you're not feeling any backwash."

"No, no, everything is fine, but because of that incident, I would really want to try to learn some more harder and effective spells."

"Oh, of course," Lupin smiled and started excitedly explaining some of the most effective one's feeling like a teacher again.

Both of them got carried away with practicing various defense spells and after a late lunch they sent an owl to Dumbledore and Ron and Hermione to warn that Harry will not be there for his last lessons of the day, perhaps not even dinner. The Headmaster, being his new careless self, allowed Harry to take as long as he found necessary if Lupin's assistance proved to be so helpful.

Unnoticing they had switched to some attack techniques and till late in the night even found time to go over a few hexes.

"I think you should stay here over the night, Harry. Not only because it's long passed curfew in Hogwarts and anyone who found out that I kept you so long will kill me, but also it could be pretty dangerous to try to get back," Lupin said as they had taken some time off to renew their strength.

"Alright, I'm sure I can just stay here on the couch, I'll just summon some clothes… and maybe we could even practice tomorrow. That is, if you don't have some plans already," Harry was actually grateful for not having to go back to the castle. He was exhausted and thought that he won't be able to make it down the stairs.

Reluctantly, Lupin agreed, not liking Harry missing so many classes, but it was still for the boy's own safety.

--

Harry got to the castle only when it was time for his wandless magic lesson with Dumbledore. He was happy about his lessons, it was after all something he had always wanted and liked. And at the end these new skills will most probably save his life.

Wandless magic was much harder than he had expected, and Dumbledore seemed eager to end the lesson much earlier for some unknown reason. Harry spent the rest of the day with Ron and Hermione trying to catch up on the lessons he had missed.

"Hey, Harry, what are you planning on doing tomorrow, would you like to go flying?" Ron started a conversation as the three of them were walking up the stairs to the Gryffindor Tower.

"Yeah, I'd love to!" Harry brightened up, but then a realization hit him. "Shit! I can't. I almost forgot…"

"What? You have a date?" Ron smirked at him, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Um, no. I have this lesson with Snape. I don't even want to go… what could he possibly teach me?…"

"Harry, he is a teacher after all. And he does know a lot of important things about You-Know-Who he could tell you. Dumbledore trusts him, that's all you need to know," Hermione sent both of them scolding looks.

"Come on, Herm! The man's a genuine asshole! He couldn't even teach a dog to bark, it doesn't matter how much he knows," Ron stepped in.

"Harry," Hermione turned to the dark-haired boy for help. "You do think that Snape is anyhow useful, right?"

Harry took a step back from the both of them. He hadn't spent so much time with both of them together, so he had forgotten how to deal with their tantrums. Better just step out: "Oh, no! You will not involve me into this! Clear this out between yourselves."

They came into the common room and Harry used his sleepiness as an excuse to get away from them both.

--

The next day came and flew past Harry as is he was walking through a dream. It was usually so- when you anticipated something good to happen the minutes dragged like hours. But-

-when you had a planned lesson with Snape on a Friday evening about god knows what subject, you didn't even have time to blink when you were already heading silently through the dungeons and an imaginary funeral march was playing in the background.

That was exactly what Harry was doing right now- dragging his feet and trying to loose his way in the corridors like some great lummox.

Until he was grabbed by his upper arms and pressed against some wall before he even had time to recognize his attacker.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Potter? You could be killed!" it was Malfoy.

"Let me go, I am having a lesson with Snape and if you don't let me go, I'll be late."

Draco really did let Harry go; he stepped back and gazed at the other boy silently. As Harry looked back, he spoke: "You have been avoiding me, haven't you?"

Harry gaped in shock. Even he would have never given the blonde credit to say something like that and_ he_ was the one believing Malfoy had changed: "I have _always_ been avoiding you, Malfoy. It doesn't get too fluffy when we both get together. I don't know how to break it to you, but we have sort of a tendency to fight and almost kill each other from time to time."

The other boy just smirked: "Not lately."

"Oh yeah, lately we seem to have stepped in a whole different level- now we inflict injuries on each other that don't heal."

Draco just stepped closer and put his hands on the wall on either side of Harry's head, thus both leaning in and slightly capturing the other boy: "Why- don't you like it? And you do know how to heal them, Harry…"

The voice Draco had used, that nicely vibrating low undertone, and purring out his first name, sent shivers up his spine and he didn't think he would be able to control himself. He had found a perfect excuse for each time something had happened between them. Because they did kiss only in emotional breakdown situations, as it seemed to Harry. But if he didn't control himself now… well, it would be bad.

"Don't try to act like you don't like it, you forgot already that I can read your mind?" the blonde just smirked evilly and Harry blushed. "I know exactly what you're thinking about in this moment."

"What?! No, you can't!" the Gryffindor blushed even more and pushed the other boy away from him.

"Of course I can't!" Draco seemed to be snickering about something hysterically funny. "But I think I guessed from the way you're acting."

Without another word Harry just turned away and started walking.

"You're late, Potter," Snape spat out as he opened the door. "I should have known you will not take these lessons seriously. Just remember this, Potter, I only agreed to do this because Dumbledore asked me saying that there was no one better for the job," the man then glanced once again at Harry who was still standing in the doorway. "Sit down, what are you waiting for- flying arrows to point you?!"

Harry stayed where he was, for a moment considering just turning away and going back to the Tower. Snape clearly would only be happy.

But instead he decided in making the grumpy professor even more irritated.

He stepped in the room and suddenly almost fell over by the overwhelming smell of potions and their ingredients. He took his seat as fast as he could, feeling his legs starting to wobble. Harry had no intentions falling unconscious in Snape's office and letting the old man do whatever he wanted with him.

_Bad mental image!_

"I'm sorry, something got in the way and I couldn't make it as fast as I could," Harry managed to squeeze the apology out of himself.

"Your apology warms my cold heart. Now shall we get on with the training, I have other things to do also."

Harry fidgeted in his seat, now knowing what he was supposed to do. In the note Snape had sent him was only the time and the place for their lessons. Not the subject.

"Erm, what exactly is it you will be teaching me, Professor?" Harry squeaked out, feeling suddenly like he had in Snape's first lecture. He figured that that probably was some Slytherin trait to be always prepared for the coming lessons and knowing the things that will be taught. That was most probably why Draco always was prepared and Snape awaited it from everybody.

"You don't even know?" now Snape looked really incredulous.

"Apparently Dumbledore forgot to tell me…"

"And you didn't even ask him… How Gryffindor of you to just wait for the things come to you!"

Harry fidgeted some more, trying not to get angry and start yelling, but it was pretty hard to do. Snape was openly provoking him: "Yes, well, Dumbledore hasn't been himself lately…"

"People trust Dumbledore to know what he's doing. He is probably just acting."

As Harry mumbled under his nose, he tried to do it as quiet as possible: "If someone asked me-"

"-Yes, that's exactly why they're _not_ asking you. Potter, you are the only one who is in the opinion that your thoughts are useful or needed," Snape glared at him, but Harry didn't let it go by him unnoticed that even the professor was a tad bit unsure that Dumbledore really knew what he was doing. "Anyhow, don't let your already pumped up ego get even more bigger, but I will be providing you with _exclusive_ information about the Dark Lord. Dumbledore doesn't know, and if you keep your beloved friends out of this and don't go bragging around, the full content of your training with me will remain, so to say, indistinct to him. Since the Headmaster seems to think of you as a child that should be protected a little while longer, I do not share the same opinion. Up till know you seem to have kept the Wizarding community by its wits. If something happens to you, I have no doubts that panic will arise. So it is better that you are well informed and trained."

Harry just stared at his professor eyes and mouth agape. If he didn't know better, it would almost appear that Snape had lost his trust in Dumbledore. The Headmaster did seem to take things and other occurrences rather lightly, but Harry supposed that he still was taking care of all the spying on Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

"Each of our lessons will take place in a different place, so they will not become an easily noticeable habit. I will teach you the Dark Lord's attack strategies and try to give you expansive information about all the Death Eaters, if something occurs and you are forced to duel with them. You will not write any on this down, nor will you repeat the things you will have learnt aloud at any times. And these lessons will continue for as long as they should, until I have a feeling that something is actually getting through your thick skull. Is that clear, Potter?"

Harry weekly nodded.

"So you might have guessed that the latest weapon for the Dark Lord are vampire ghosts. You have encountered one, but I doubt you will ever see her again. Right now the Dark Lord and Lucius Malfoy are concentrating mainly on the capture of Draco Malfoy, I take it as their personal revenge, but these plans have not been exposed to anyone else. I am still trying to find out what exactly was behind their original idea to use you in the attack."

With that Snape went on and on, and although he didn't seem to have lost track of time, the man kept Harry in his clutches until it was almost curfew. As the boy opened the door he felt numb and dead tired.

"And by the way, your detention will be on Monday evening in your default Potions classroom which you have been lately using as a replacement for your dormitory during my lessons. Try not to be late this time."

Harry left the dungeons and even as he had entered the common room he hadn't still recovered from the shock of Snape telling him things that he supposed even Dumbledore didn't know. He was surprised by the man's courage of exposing himself in such a manner that could only blow his cover.

"Oy, Harry! How did it go, mate?"

"Harry-? Is everything-"

There were some voices in the background; he thought they belonged to Ron and Hermione, but he didn't have the strength to turn his head around. He just went slowly for his bed and fell in.

The thought of Snape putting such belief in him and almost handing over his life to Harry, haunted him even in sleep.


	8. Now You See Me, Now You Don't!

**8- Now you see me. Now you don't!**

The birds were flying away. Harry noticed that as he lied on the grass of the Quidditch field. The practice was over and he would have to get moving for the detention soon. But he wanted to enjoy the feeling of solitude till hell broke loose.

He thought of the quietness of the afternoon like calm before the storm.

Hew didn't want to see Draco. He had spent his weekend sleeping in and then walking around Hogsmead with Lupin talking about nothing and everything. He had also let Snape's lecture sink in and had time to get used to the thoughts it brought up.

But now he felt ready to cry, even. How could things be so fucked up so early in someone's life? He wondered if he would ever enjoy a normal year of his life. He had wanted to go out with girls, but got stuck with a boy as a vampire's mate.

Anyway, all the girls at Hogwarts only annoyed him, as had most of the girls during summer.

But he remembered Ann. She was something to remember. She would have been perfect if she hadn't stood him up after a first date that had gone so fine.

But he was determined not to fall once again in self-pity. So he rose up and started walking towards the castle and eventually for the Potions classroom.

After sitting a half an hour in the stuffy room and listening to Snape's foot tapping on the floor, Harry started to loose his temper.

"And what if he doesn't show up?"

"Draco is never late, and he would never just skip detention without any reason," Snape growled back at Harry. But it still was obvious that even the Potions Master was starting to get annoyed.

The door suddenly opened and a startled fourth-year came in the classroom.

"Well? What is it? Did you find him?" Snape bellowed and the small boy cringed.

"Um, no, Professor. Malfoy is nowhere to be seen. Nobody has seen him the entire day since breakfast."

"Shit!" it was worth hearing Snape curse loudly and then exit the classroom. Harry just smirked and followed suit. Only he decided to return to his dormitory, he had no intentions of visiting the Slytherin common room together with Snape in search for one Draco Malfoy.

The blonde had probably decided to skive off or take a break. Or maybe he had finally drunk himself to death.

Not that Harry minded. They were supposed to serve detention together. No Malfoy, no detention.

He smiled to himself contently and shoved his hands in his pockets. There was a small piece of parchment and Harry took it out. It was the one Hermione had given him a week ago. The research about dragons. The girl had been so secretive about the whole thing, and he had really wanted her to find out something about Draco, but at the end he had never really read it. Harry just stuffed the crumpled piece back in. He didn't want to know. Maybe later...

--

Three men clad in black robes entered the drawing room where Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy sat by the fireplace. They looked pale and anxious. Dropping to their knees in front of their master, one of them said: "We have been successful in capturing the boy. The body is alive and his soul- imprisoned. As you ordered, he hasn't been harmed."

On the disgusting face of Voldemort a smirk appeared: "Very well, you have done well."

He stood up and Lucius followed him.

"My Lord, the Seer of our clan has become worried as he saw the soul…," the man in the middle continued talking, bowing his head even lower.

Lucius eyes flared: "Why? Is something wrong with it?"

Voldemort held up a hand to silence him and smirked at the blond man: "Now, now, Lucius, if I didn't know better, it would seem that you are worried about your son."

His jaw clenched as he answered: "My Lord, I have no son."

Voldemort's smirk widened even further and he turned back to the three men still on their knees on the floor: "What is this Seer saying?"

"My master, he warns you," he said quietly as if awaiting a curse to be flung in his direction. When it didn't happen, he continued. "He says that the soul should stay imprisoned at all times and by no means let free. He says that the boy is mated not only with a person who can bring your downfall, but also he… um, you have to see the soul yourself… Vampires can sense… And the soul radiates an abnormally powerful field of energy… The Seer asks you to be as careful as possible."

"Nonsense!" Voldemort bellowed and his hissing voice made everyone in the room flinch. "These children are no threat to me! And you, vampires, have no right to teach me!"

The doubt that was palpable in the air, the question haunted everyone's thoughts.

_Then w__hy do you bother with them? Why put so much effort in destroying them?_

But nobody dared to stand up against Voldemort. They had begun to waver in their servitude, but everybody still knew that the monster could do unthinkable things to them if they defected.

--

Harry woke up. His whole body was trembling, from what it felt like after the dream, in melancholy. He knew the dream had been about Draco.

_Voldemort has Draco. _

The knowledge made his gut wrench. And now he felt once again like a bastard out of a shit pile regarding the blonde. He had thought the Slytherin just had gone drinking last evening. And he hadn't wanted to see him. And nobody had worried about the fact that Malfoy was missing.

He turned on his stomach and tried to suffocate himself in the pillow and not let any tears fall.

"Harry?" a soft whisper reached his ears. And he felt a warm hand touch his shoulder. "Are you alright, mate?"

The boy turned his face to Ron and tried to nod.

"Harry, what happened? Do you feel alright? Your eyes are all red!"

"Yeah, everything's fine, Ron," he tried to answer to his friend in a normal voice. "What time is it?"

"It's breakfast. You'd better get up," Ron's worries had disappeared and he stood, moving towards the shower. Reluctantly, Harry followed him, lost in his thoughts.

--

_Tell Dumbledore? Or tell Ron and Hermione? Or maybe Lupin?_

"-Snape?" a voice came from behind Harry and he was pulled out of his thoughts. He became aware of the whispers and gasps in the Great Hall as the Potions Master entered.

He was slightly limp and looked almost like he had been dragged over pavement all the way from Edinburgh to Glasgow. His lip was split and was bleeding, just like his arm that was clutching painfully the chest.

He was approaching the teacher's table and McGonagall ran forward, helping him walk and silently talking while leading him to the room behind the Great Hall.

"What do you think happened to him?" Ron asked Hermione and Harry as he still gazed at the injured professor.

"Voldemort is what happened to him. Isn't that obvious?" Harry hissed, getting up from his seat and rushing to his teachers.

As Harry approached McGonagall and Snape, they were both arguing about him going to see Madame Pomfrey, but Snape was refusing saying he was fine. The boy smirked to himself, Slytherin and Gryffindor. But then he was forced to frown when he heard the Potions Master say he didn't trust the nurse.

He cleared his throat and both of the professors looked at him. Snape fell silent, just gazing at the boy with his black eyes. McGonagall started talking: "Potter. What could possibly be so important that you could not wait?"

"Um, actually I wanted to talk with Professor Snape. It really is important," he looked pleadingly at the Potions Master whose eyes widened in surprise.

"It's alright Minerva, I will take this," he said to the woman and withdrew from her touch. "I am not dying, this is nothing serious."

The woman reluctantly let go of him, and just stared as they disappeared in the room behind the teacher's table.

As the door was closed Snape looked at Harry, awaiting an explanation.

"What happened? Did you go looking for Malfoy? Was it Voldemort?"

"This doesn't concern you… But if you must know, I didn't go to the Dark Lord looking for Malfoy. Only a Gryffindor would do something as stupid as that… I went to the Forbidden Forest. They don't like me there, apparently… Said I steal too much from the creatures. It's not my fault I need their blood for Potions… But I did find something out… Vampires have taken the boy," talking was really difficult for him; he was inhaling long, shaky breaths as he spoke.

"I know," Harry replied silently and Snape's eyes shot up in surprise. "I saw a dream. One of those Voldemort dreams… They have kidnapped Malfoy and done something to his soul… But I didn't find out what is their plan, what they are going to do now."

Snape sat quietly as Harry tried to retell the dream word to word. In the end he drew conclusions as much as he could.

"This is a plan of such secrecy that none of the Death Eaters are allowed to know about. Only the Dark Lord and Lucius are involved, from what I know. And they have a vampire clan as their accomplices. That means they are involving vampire magic in this. Clever bastards, they are on to something…," Snape then stopped mumbling to himself and looked up at Harry with a fierce expression on his face. "Now, Potter, if you try to do something courageous and stupid like you always do, not even thinking twice about it, I will personally come after you and kill you with my bare hands. It is not acceptable that you put not only your life in danger, but also a fellow student's. I will inform the Headmaster about this all, as soon as I can find him…"

"But aren't you gonna do something about this?" Harry cried out as Snape got up to exit the room. "I mean, Malfoy is captured and we have no idea what they are going to do with him. And, and…"

"And what, Potter?!" Snape yelled as loud as it was possible in his injured state. "That is _exactly _why we are not going to do anything. Because we don't know what the Dark Lord wants Draco for! It could be anything, he could be only waiting for you to show up and do something about the boy. It is not for sure that Draco is going to die. Hell, they could be planning in using him in their battles and it's not as bad. He will be at least alive then and they will take care of him so he is able to fight. If Draco is really as strong as those vampires think he is, _nothing_ will happen to him. Now, let it be, Potter!"

He limped away.

--

Harry was fuming by the time he reached Gryffindor table.

"Harry, what happened? What did you talk about with Snape?" Hermione and Ron started pouring down the question rain on him.

"He's a stupid bastard; I don't even know why I went to talk with him," Harry gathered his books and went for the exit. His both friends ran after him.

"What did you talk about, Harry! Will you stop for a minute?" But Harry had no intentions of stopping; he just went for the Grand Entrance. "Harry! Stop, the Charms classroom is upstairs!"

Then he whirled around and yelled: "I'm skiving off!"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other and then followed him.

"This better be good, Harry, I am not skiving off with no good reason," Hermione said between breaths as they tried to climb down the rocky half-hill in the direction of the lake.

Harry looked at his friend and sneered: "Oh, there is a real reason, Herm, Malfoy has been kidnapped."

"What? When?" Ron said against the turbulent wind.

Hermione had stopped and was just looking at them quizzically: "Why?"

Harry ignored their questions, just continued ranting on: "And Snape wants me to do nothing about it. I mean, he even looked ready to forget about it all and just take it as Malfoy went on vacation!"

They had reached the lake and his friends looked baffled: "Yeah, well, but nobody knows what happened to him, he could have as well run off and joined the Death Eater Circus. And maybe he's experiencing some lack of attention and is just waiting for someone to come and find him? Or maybe he just wanted to take a break…"

"A break?! In the middle of September?! Ron, I saw a dream! With Voldemort and Lucius gloating about how they had captured Malfoy!" Harry almost lost his patience. He couldn't understand- was he really the only one who was worried about Draco?!

Ron and Hermione had fallen silent. They looked at each other and then at Harry.

"Harry," the small girl stood next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "You can't really be sure that it was a real dream, and if it wasn't supposed to only look like Malfoy was in danger… You just can't go dashing off, you don't know where to, after all. And you can never know the truth with Malfoy; it's just like with Snape. You shouldn't put your life in danger because of one dream. Maybe Malfoy will come back in a few days or…"

"Yeah, Harry, and don't even understand why you worry so much about the ferret. He has gotten you into trouble ever since the first year," Ron said.

"Come, let's get to class, Harry," Hermione and Ron dragged him back to the castle.

--

At dinner Dumbledore finally showed up. He stood up and the Hall fell silent.

"I know some of you have been wondering for the last two days the current location of Draco Malfoy. I wanted to calm you down and assure that his family has been notified and the probable explanation is that Mister Malfoy for some personal reasons has decided to run away. It is not so unusual for adolescent people to think that the whole world is against them and his mother has informed me that during summer Draco did experience some emotional problems. He has had trouble coping with his responsibilities and has had delusions that he is in danger. The legal authorities have been involved and many people around England and Scotland are right now trying to track down this boy. Anyhow he is bound to be caught as his magic is being traced and although he hasn't used his wand up until now, there is no worry. I want to once again state the truth that we all are familiar with- Hogwarts is the safest place for you to be and while you are here, nothing can happen to you all. Therefore there is no credible ground for any of the beliefs that your fellow student could have been kidnapped or any such nonsense."

Dumbledore sat down and the Hall erupted in chatter. Harry only snorted.

"I can't believe Dumbledore would trust Malfoy's parents. He wasn't even in the Wizarding world during this summer. Malfoy ran away from home," Harry leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, Dumbledore knows what he's doing. Maybe he just doesn't want to worry anyone," Hermione looked around the Hall. Nobody seemed to be talking about Malfoy anymore.

They fell silent and didn't continue the topic.

--

Even Lupin didn't think that there was anything to worry about.

"But, Harry, I wouldn't want you to run off to search for Malfoy. I know you had gained some understanding among yourselves, but even if Dumbledore doesn't seem to be in the opinion that something bad has happened. You should just rely on the authorities to solve this situation. The week won't be over until Malfoy will be back in school."

The day was grim. It was one of those days in Scotland when sun had appeared when you woke up, but when you looked out of the window after a quick shower, the thick clouds were once again covering the whole sky in an opaque gloom. It had started to drizzle when Harry had reached Hogsmead.

Now he was staring through the window of the sitting room to the wet cobblestone sidewalk outside, lost in thought.

"I have no real reason to run off, like everyone believes I will. I don't have anywhere to run off, nor do I know where Malfoy could be found. I just wish people would take this matter a bit more seriously. After all, I did see the Voldemort dream. I do trust Snape and Dumbledore to do what they think is the right decision. But it still feels that we could try to help more persistently," the boy finally turned back to Lupin and took his wand out. "Can we just continue training?"

Harry lost himself in the uncountable hexes and curses that he had to learn. After a few hours they both had decided to go into the Forbidden Forest to practice some strategies in a real attack. He tried to put into use all the hexes and dodge the ones that Lupin sent him, but in the end he had a pain in both his bones and muscles that wasn't the pleasant feeling he had after a Quidditch practice.

The boy bid farewell and dragged his feet to the Gryffindor Tower and fell in dreamless sleep.

--

The next day went past again with no news about Draco and everyone even appeared to have forgotten about the missing Slytherin. Harry himself had put this knowledge in the deepest corner of his mind, not wanting to admit that Draco's disappearance meant something personal to him.

But when Pansy Parkinson started screaming all around the classroom during Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, he was torn from his trance: "Why do I have to work alone if Draco is not here?! Can't you just pair me up with someone? Nobody knows if he will ever be back! I already worked alone on Monday's lesson!"

The teacher looked like she wanted to just run out of the room and get as far away as possible. The Slytherin girl just decided to join some other pair, but not until she had screamed for a few more minutes on the top of her lungs.

It was then, when Harry decided to confront the Headmaster that same day in their wandless magic lessons.

The lesson ended and Professor Wolf looked blessed that the horror hour with Pansy Parkinson and her tantrums was finally over. Harry, Ron and Hermione silently went to lunch.

"Don't you find it weird that even the Slytherins don't think it's funny how Malfoy's gone?" Ron said as he piled food on his plate.

Hermione looked at Harry for a second warily and then at her other friend: "Ron!"

But the red-head didn't hear it: "I mean, nobody cares that Malfoy is gone. Most probably there are many people in this school that have been abused by him and don't even want that he returns. He was nothing more than a damned poofter anyway."

Harry woke up from his inspection of his spoon: "What? Why do you say that?"

Ron just rolled his eyes: "Everybody knows that, Harry! You just have to take a look at how he dresses and gestures with his hands." With that the boy started to mimic the blonde. "He was just a bloody ponce and as queer as they get."

"Well, I wouldn't know, Ron," Harry, suddenly angry, spat out. "I don't spend my time gazing at Malfoy."

With this the Gryffindor table fell silent and the eating process froze in midair as their housemates waited for the row to continue.

Ron had paled; it even seemed that his hair stood up. Now he looked like a Christmas decoration.

"What's your problem?"

"_I_ don't have a problem, Ron; it looks like _you're_ the one missing your boyfriend!"

Several Gryffindors just snickered to themselves, but mainly the whole Gryffindor house burst into roaring laughter. Other people in the Great Hall at the moment just looked at the sudden excitement.

Ron had started to shake with anger, but Harry didn't even want to continue. He stood up to leave, but Hermione grabbed his hand: "Harry…"

He couldn't make out her tone: "Hermione, don't. I'm tired."

Since he didn't want to be pampered by the girl, nor did he want to apologize to Ron, Harry just left the Great Hall. He hadn't even realized how he had become, how many of Draco's character traits he had taken over. Or was he becoming just more Slytherin… Only now he had wanted to tell Ron off a bit because of his talking about the Slytherin in that way, but he had managed to humiliate the red-head in front of the whole house. It wouldn't be too surprising if by the end of the day the whole school was talking about Ron and Draco being lovers.

Harry smiled to himself imagining how the Slytherin would act finding that out.

In a few minutes he was already in Dumbledore's office. The man was right now feeding the phoenix while talking to it. But Fawkes didn't seem happy about the baby-talk and was screeching all the time. Finally Harry decided to save the poor bird: "Um, Professor, can we get on with the lesson?"

"As you wish," Dumbledore out down the bag of biscuits, but was startled by an owl rapping at the window. He opened the window and it turned out that it wasn't an owl, but a black crow. The older man took a letter from the messenger and then closed the window. "You know, a black crow is bad luck… Oh, it's from Narcissa Malfoy! Draco is safe and sound."

"What's said there?" Harry stood up and took the letter.

In few simple sentences the woman had thanked Dumbledore for accepting her son at Hogwarts, but now that the boy had ran away, they had mutually decided it would be for the best to send him to Durmstrang as it had been planned in the beginning. Harry didn't believe a word of it.

"And you're not going to check if it's true? You know, send an owl to the school and inquire if Malfoy is really there?"

"Why should I, Harry? I believe Draco's mother. You know, Harry, you should be more trustful. People are generally good. And no one would ever lie about their son's health. It is obscene."

"What? But it's the Malfoy family we're talking about! They are generally bad. They're not even people."

"Harry, you shouldn't talk like that. Malfoy's are a well respected family, they have a dubious past, but I believe that they have done their best to improve."

"Are you high?!" Harry even went so far as shrieking.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am, Harry. I'm high on _love_!" Dumbledore just gazed back at him, with a maniacal twinkle in his red rimmed eyes because of not sleeping and while saying the last word, he raised his hands upwards. "Harry, can't you see- love is everywhere! I love Poppy, you love Draco. We all love and are loved by someone in this world! Isn't it wonderful?"

Harry thought his eyes will roll out of the sockets: "I don't love Malfoy!"

"Don't lie to yourself, Harry. It is the most wonderful thing on this earth. _LOVE!_" in a singsong voice Dumbledore answered, not even flinching at Harry's yelling.

The boy just turned around, utterly horrified and ran out of the office, bumping into Madame Pomfrey.


	9. An Empty Shell

**9- ****An Empty Shell**

Harry ran out in the Hall and continued going to wherever his nose would lead him. He didn't want to even think about getting back to the Gryffindor common room right now. He was sure Ron would kill him at sight. He did admit to himself that he had been too harsh, but the redhead should have seen it coming. Hermione had even warned him…

Harry stopped dead in his tracks, wondering why exactly had Hermione warned Ron.

_Is now ev__erybody thinking that I love that blonde bastard?_

Well, he hadn't been too subtle while running around and cursing everyone that didn't appear to care about Malfoy's disappearance. He smirked imagining a possible confrontation and how he would defend himself. _No, it's not how it looks, you all have absolutely misunderstood. I just have a really big heart, I care about people! _But he knew he had nothing to be afraid of, after all, he wasn't even gay for starters. So any Malfoy-loving was out of the question.

Harry settled for a slow walk around the grounds of Hogwarts, trying to imagine what his possible action plan could be like. All he needed to figure out was, where Malfoy was and how to get there. Almost a piece of cake…

As he was going through one of the first floor corridors, and heard Snape's distinctive sarcastic drawl. The man was talking to Madame Pomfrey.

_Is that woman now everywhere I look or have I begun to hallucinate? _

"You have to give me something stronger. The glamour seems to wear down so easily. But it is going so fine at the moment, Severus," the school nurse was talking to Snape, but if Harry wasn't mistaken, she was also trying to flirt.

"This is the strongest possible Glamour Charm there is! And I can't really help you out with the pink candles, because it is not exactly my style, as you could imagine," every time the nurse stepped a bit further, trying to touch him or his hair, he stepped back.

"This is all what you have of lavender oil?" she pouted and looked down at the huge jar that most probably had a capacity of at least three liters.

"That's all I have _left_ from lavender oil and you have emptied my supplies severely since you started to brew this crazy glamour stuff. It doesn't even mostly work!"

"But you just imagine how passionate he has become!" the nurse purred at the Professor and he stepped back once again. "Alright, I am really thankful for your help, Severus. And if you need something from me, don't be shy and just ask."

When the nurse had finally left, the man leaned against the wall and exhaled a long breath. Harry chose to step around the corner at that moment. He smirked at the professor as he saw him: "You do realize that now you have to tell me everything?"

Snape pushed himself back from the wall, straightened and started walking away: "And what makes you so sure I will do that, Potter? If I don't obey, you'll do what? Tell Dumbledore? And then he will whip me? I seriously doubt that, and I think that even you're not so stupid to believe that."

"No. I will tell the reporters that you tried to sexually harass me. It's not like I care what will happen with your image in the eyes of Voldemort. I have heard, he isn't exactly open-minded…"

Harry's smirk widened as the professor halted. It was a typical Muggle trick, but at the moment the Gryffindor didn't care.

Snape whirled around and hissed: "You would never do that! You don't have the guts to do it!"

"Oh, you should never doubt Gryffindor courage, Professor. The reporters believe everything I say and I bet they would even frilly it up a bit. You have to stop giving Pomfrey ingredients. She is making everyone go crazy because of the tons of glamour charm she is using! It just can't go on like this."

"What? She isn't overdosing…"

"Are you blind?" Harry stepped towards the professor and then it dawned on him. "You're gay?"

Snape looked baffled for a minute, if he hadn't been so pale, the slight blush his cheeks acquired, wouldn't have been so noticeable: "Well… I…" He tried to stammer out as Harry just grinned at him, but then the older man sobered, "What makes you think that you can ask something so obscene to a professor?! That is none of your business, Potter!"

"That's why you don't see what she has done to others. And she is using that charm on Dumbledore, isn't that right? That's why he has gone bonkers and talks about love all the time."

Snape stalked forward and hissed in a low voice: "If you let this get out, Potter, and I will be murdered, trust me when I say, I will haunt you till you go crazy, start seeing little pink ponies and have to be locked up!"

"You can buy my silence with a little favor," Harry knew he was being evil and gloating about it, but it was the only way to do something for Draco.

"I will not change my attitude or do anything to humiliate myself!" Snape hissed in anger, his eyes staring daggers.

"No, nothing so childish, I just need you to teach me one thing."

--

Harry had lost all sense of time. It was twilight or maybe just a clear night, he wasn't sure. The boy was sitting in the Owlery and waiting for a message from Snape. The professor had said that he did agree with the deal, but they would have to wait for night time.

Harry hated waiting. He didn't know what to do in the spare few hours. He was twiddling a crumpled piece of parchment on which he knew was Hermione's dragon research. He didn't know if it would help him, or only distract. For a few minutes he wondered, maybe he should just throw it in the lake or burn it, but instead he opened it and started reading in the vague light.

In Hermione's neat handwriting it said:

_Wyverns are the vicious and envious vipers of war. Because of their power and endurance they cannot be tamed. They are pestilence itself and bring strength to those who bear their symbols. They are symbols for the rich and wealthy._

_Several heads on a dragon means decadence and oppression. The dragon is said to be one of the most cunning magical creatures and is always linked together with unorthodox practices and beliefs, but if their magic is linked with a newborn it might very well for the bearer bring apostasy- a formal abandonment and renunciation of religion and any beliefs. Apostasy might go even as far as a defection or revolt. A person who has been magically linked with the power of dragons' becomes a free thinker and a leader never to be under anyone's command. The greatest wizards of the Wizarding World have borne the symbol of wyvern._

_However, nowadays these protection rituals only rarely show any effects, because the wyverns are creatures hard to please. But if the desired connection between them and a wizard has been established, the dragons will go as far as death to protect the bearer of their symbol. _

Harry was shocked how directly to the point it all characterized the Slytherin. There were a few things he would disagree on, but mostly, it seemed that Draco resembled a dragon not only because of his name. And it was now for sure that he was protected by the magic of dragons. But Harry was still doubtful about his safety because of what he had heard in his dream. Voldemort and Lucius had done something to avoid Draco's protectors. And he still had no idea what the two of them wanted with the blonde.

--

"You, Gryffindors, never cease to amaze me with your endless trust. Potter, did you even stop to think that you received an unfamiliar owl, saying to meet outside Hogwarts grounds and with no name of the sender? Do you ever consider consequences?"

A voice came from behind him and Harry turned around. He knew it would be useless to try and talk sense into the man, instead he decided to play along.

"Why should I? I have you to do it for me, so why bother?"

"You have finally understood your Slytherin side, haven't you, Potter?" Snape smirked as he saw how Harry's eyes had widened in shock at that statement.

"No matter how I just adore our little talks, we are not here to chat. So, how do I Apparate?"

Snape looked like a vampire in the moonlight, because of his dark robes, long black hair and the pale complexion. Harry imagined that maybe it had been the man's goal. After all, he was pretty weird.

"Potter, it is usually taught in long and safeguarded courses, you know you can splinch yourself, not even mentioning Apparating to Siberia or Antarctica. There are no wizards or even people to help you and I will not be able to trace you. I hope you do realize the credible possibility of danger."

"I trust you to teach me well, after all everyone will blame you, if something happens," Harry smirked, getting tired of everyone worrying about him so much.

"I hope you have not planned to Apparate yourself afterwards on a top of a mountain screaming on top of your lungs- _Voldemort, I beg you- take me, I can't wait any longer! I want to be part of your orgies, do as you please with my body! And by the way, set Malfoy free!_" Snape sneered with so much malice, that the blood in his veins seemed to be boiling.

"If I didn't know any better, I would swear that you don't care about Malfoy," Harry answered, trying to copy the older man's tone.

"That is exactly how it is supposed to look like, Potter!" Snape stalked forward and grabbed Harry by the throat. "Tell me, why should I, a Death Eater, and knowing the boy's defection, care?"

"Because he _defected_, as you so nicely put it, of the same reason why you are living in a closet!" Harry hissed and freed himself from the man's grip.

"Then do your best to learn this, Potter," Snape answered and grabbed his wand to be ready if something really bad would happen. He decided not to help if something not too bad happened. After all, a man does need his payback.

"To Apparate you need to concentrate not only on the place you want to arrive in, but also your body and then imagine yourself in the place of choice. You have got to feel every part of your body. And I do mean _every _part; otherwise you'll get splinched of the part you were not conscious about at the moment. You have to be cautious and envision your whole being and then concentrate your magic on moving you between the layers of place," Snape paused and looked at the boy who was just standing not knowing what to do exactly. The professor sighed. "For Merlin's sake, Potter. Close your eyes, relax. Just stand straight, imagine yourself flying, if it makes you feel free. For now feel your mind, imagine your being and start flexing the muscles. One by one. Start with your toes, leg muscles, just flex them, feel them and then let go and start with the next. It's like meditation to calm yourself. You don't need any incantations or your wand to do it because the magic is in you, not your wand. After you have exercised your muscles you should be aware of them and feel every one of them. Every human being is a biological organism with a mind that makes it function. When you have finished, try to find in your mind your magic. It is a thread going all through your body. And then Apparate. For example, imagine yourself by a tree just few meters further and call upon your magic to take you there. If it doesn't work, you have to do it all over again. In the end, if you have not been successful we will have to stop, because, and this is a rule, memorize it, when you are tired, never Apparate!"

Snape jumped back in shock when he saw Harry disappear for a moment. But he appeared back in the same spot where he had been standing.

"Imagine yourself by the tree, open your eyes and look at it," Harry obeyed and looked. There really was a tree by the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It looked old and ready to fall to the ground by any stronger breeze. "Now close your eyes, keep the image in your head, add yourself to the picture, envision how it would be to stand right now by the tree. Do the exercise again. When will have gotten the touch of it, you will not need to-"

But Harry disappeared. Snape whirled around and saw Harry grinning like a mad man by the tree.

"Quidditch helps, Professor. It also teaches you to be aware of every part of your body, just like any other sport. But I did it!"

"Congratulations," Snape sneered and started heading back to the castle. "Just try to be careful."

--

Harry ran into the common room at five am in the morning. Waking up everybody in his dorm while he was rummaging through his trunk, trying to find things he might need. When he had taken out his father's Invisibility Cloak, Ron sat up in his bed and opened the hangings.

"What are you doing, Harry? Why are you not sleeping?"

The dark-haired boy was surprised that Ron didn't erupt in uncountable curses, but he didn't have much time and he was much too excited to answer.

"Harry what's wrong? Where are you going?" Ron got up, and came over to his friend's bed, but he still was ignoring him. "That's it, I'm getting Hermione."

By the time Harry had packed his things, shrunk them and stuffed his jeans' pockets full and was exiting the common room, Hermione and Ron appeared. They both looked horribly sleepy and not by their right senses.

"Harry, stop! Where are you going?"

Harry didn't stop, he only started running down the stairs, wanting to get this over with as fast as possible, not wanting to worry his friends.

"Harry, are you going to look for Malfoy? This is insane, you don't even know where he is," the boy heard Hermione's bear feet padding fast after him.

He felt pity and turned around, still moving to the exit: "I don't need to know where he is, Herm. I just need to get to him. It doesn't matter where he is."

"Then we are coming with you!" Ron reached them and the trio got outside.

"Yeah, Harry, although you are mental, we are going with you, and will not let you get into trouble," Hermione added.

"You can't," Harry just answered after a sigh. He did want them to come along.

"What?"

"I said, you can not come along!"

"Is that how it is now?" Ron stopped and so did the two of his friends, dreading the tone of his voice. "Is the ferret really more important for you now? More then our friendship?!"

"Ron," Hermione tried to calm him down. "What did I say about being more understanding?"

"_More understanding?_ What the hell is this all about? Do you two think there is something going on between Draco and me?" Harry yelled, disturbing the quietness of the night.

"Then why don't you want us to come along?" Ron yelled back.

"It's not what I said. I would love to have you two by my side," Harry answered a little hurt they thought he didn't want them anymore.

"Then what did you say? What did you mean?"

"I said you can not come with me! That you are _not able_ to come!" Harry yelled in frustration.

"What do you mean by that, Harry?" Hermione, the voice of reason, came forward.

Harry sighed and then ran to the gates. Both of his friends followed. When he was finally outside the Hogwarts wards, he said: "I mean this…"

And he Apparated away, finding inside of him the bond he had with Draco, he even saw in his mind the boy with blonde hair and then he went to him.

Hermione and Ron stood baffled and shocked for a few moments looking at the space where Harry had just stood.

"What the fuck?" Ron mumbled, turning around, looking for Harry, maybe he had hidden somewhere.

"I… I think he Apparated, Ron," Hermione took his hand and started dragging him back. "Now there is nothing we can do."

Halfway to the castle she hugged the boy tightly and burst into tears.

--

Harry found himself in a dark hospital room. The blinds were pulled down covering the windows, but through a few cracks the bright full moon was shining into the room and revealing the locations of furniture. Just by the window there was a bed.

It was just an ordinary Muggle hospital bed and, judging from the devices and overall appearance, it was just an ordinary Muggle hospital room.

With one exception- Draco Malfoy was lying in the bed, wired to the uncountable machines that were measuring his heart rate and helping him breathing and doing other things Harry couldn't imagine and didn't know. All he realized at that particular moment was that Draco looked real bad. He was pale and if there hadn't been the only slightly noticable rise and fall of his chest, he would look dead for certain.

The boy stepped closer, afraid that he could be noticed or could do something to influence the Slytherin's current condition. After a few small and cautious steps he was by the bed and was reaching out to touch the blonde, but his hands were grabbed back and held tightly.

Harry's first thought was that somehow the nurse of the night shift had spotted him and called the security guards, but then he realized that the situation was much worse.

"We have been waiting for you, boy," he heard a hissing voice behind him, coming from the man that was holding him. There was another man, he recognized him from his dream, it was one of the vampires. He was looming over Harry as the boy was being dragged backwards. "Took a long time for you to finally get here, but the Dark Lord will be pleased with your predictability."

"What have you done to Draco? Is he dead?" Harry tried to struggle against the strong arms holding him.

"Don't worry about your precious little playmate. He is only in a coma. The Muggles take care of him. Without his soul his body is just like an empty shell. And we have no use for empty shells..."

Harry started pondering, maybe it was better to start shouting and calling for help, but he didn't have time to do any of those things before he was Apparated away.

The next time his eyes were open, he recognized the large room which he had seen in his first Voldemort dream after he and Draco had been attacked.

Only now it stood empty with one exception- floating in midair in front of them was what seemed to be a large glass ball of liquid light. And then he realized that in the middle of it was Draco.

"What-?" Harry exclaimed looking at one of the vampires.

The man was just sneering: "Let me introduce to your playmate's soul. Don't worry, boy, you will have enough time to get acquainted."

Harry was staring openmouthed at the body inside of the ball trying to comprehend everything. The weirdest thing was that Draco had wings that had wrapped protectively around the soul. The white feathers were moving in the quiet stirs of the liquid like his hair was, that right now looked pure white. He looked asleep and calm, as if he didn't have a sole worry. Just like people often look when dead.

"Almost like an angel, don't you think? A deterrent beauty… And nothing will ever change that, it's not surprising at all that he couldn't be marred," the man was looking pensively at the soul. For a minute it seemed that he admired it and its strength. "Even in the whole world history there have been only a few like him."

"Why did you bring me here? What do you want of me?" Harry asked still gazing at the soul that was calmly swimming around in the ball in an embryo-like position, holding itself in arms; Draco appeared to have an unusual power to be addictive, but Harry tried to break from the trance.

"Don't you care about your little playmate? Just concerned with what will happen to you?" the vampire smiled an unpleasant grin as if mocking Harry.

"I do, so what? But what do you want me for?"

Shock splayed about the creatures face: "Our master didn't tell us you would be so independent of your heart. He said you are more of a soft being."

Harry sneered: "Is that what Voldemort told you? Well, then it appears that I am not so predictable after all. Answer the question!"

"You will have the opportunity to ask himself," the vampire hissed, irritated by the boy's daring.

Harry heard the vampire mutter a curse and then he fell limp against the death grip, the whole world going black.

_**Author's Note: **Lately I have been thinking of the damned summary of this story. I find it dull, after all I was never a short-sentences/limited-characters-sort-of-guy. And I wrote that after the first two chapters where finished, when I had only a vague understanding of what will be in this fanfic. So, if anyone of you would like to help me, I'd appreciate it greatly, by all means, maybe you could give a few hints, the most attractive and pronounced guidelines of this story so far. I myself am so deep in this that I can't even see the beginning and the end, and I don't want to spill any mysteries. So help me, while waiting for the next chapter. **Hope you enjoyed this one, thanks to those who take their time and reviewed:)**_


	10. The Power of Myth

**10- ****The Power of Myth**

_Harry? __Harry, are you alright?_

The Gryffindor regained his consciousness; reluctantly surfacing above his mind's created layers of a warm and safe feeling. He didn't want to leave the place he had been in. But a voice in his head was persistently nagging him and when he finally cracked his eyes open, he was shocked by the pure white light of his surroundings.

He fled away from it, pushing backwards, afraid to get burnt by the seemingly divine carelessness the light made him feel. The boy somehow felt it was wrong. He could not feel safe yet, he had things to do, to prove, Dark Lords to destroy. He had responsibilities and duties in front of many people. It was not yet time for him to rest in the light. And sure as hell, he didn't want to die, if that was what the light meant.

_Harry? Answer me. Is everything fine? Can you answer me, Harry?_

The voice was indescribably soothing. It had a light tone to it and calmed him down, making him want always to stay here and listen to it every second of his life. He wanted to fall asleep hearing it, he wanted to wake up because of it like he had only minutes ago.

_Harry, look around! Don't you know who you are anymore?_

And Harry obeyed; he averted his eyes from the light and looked around.

At first, his brain didn't seem to comprehend, to analyze properly his position in which he was, since was the ground a few meters below him, but he wasn't hanging on anything, instead just floating in midair. And everything around him fell into darkness. The room where he last remembered being now was pitch black. Maybe the lights had been turned off, but maybe it just seemed so to him because he had been gazing into light for too long.

_Do you now understand, Harry?_

Then he looked in the direction of the light, actually being scared from what he might see there. But there was no light anymore. There was Draco in his ball of liquid, with his wings, looking at him, eyes searching understanding.

_Harry…_

_Draco?_

He answered in his mind to the other boy, because he didn't seem to be able to say anything out loud; as if he didn't have any vocal chords any more.

A painful realization hit him and he looked at his own body. He looked at his hands and feet, he was naked, just like Draco's soul was. But unlike the blond, there wasn't light around him, he didn't have wings, and his whole body was lined with darkness. It was like a black aura, hanging around him, no matter what he tried to do, how he tried to move his limbs, it just stuck to him.

_What is wrong with me?_

_Nothing's wrong. They took your body away and you stayed like this. I guess…I…_

_This is my soul, I don't have a body anymore…_

_Well, I guess we have always been souls; our bodies were just shells, like machines to operate in order to participate in the material world. _

_Do you think we're dead?_

_No, I know my body is still alive. And I heard them talking that you're also still alive. We just… exist… for now…_

_Do you think this is what it'll be like when we die?_

Draco didn't answer, he looked away. His wings trembled for a second and then started wafting around in the glass ball. Draco touched the glass and then tried to break it.

_I don't want to stay like this, Harry.__ I feel weird._

_I know, so do I._

The blonde boy seemed to be so far away, Harry wanted to caress his face, bring him a little closer and then try to calm him. But he couldn't. He didn't know how to move the glass ball in which he was placed, and even if he would manage that, they couldn't touch…

Then there was a loud crack of doors being opened and light was let in. Then candles lit up in the room and there was, what looked like an army marching towards them.

_Death Eaters… And vampires…_ Came a growl from Draco, and Harry saw how the white wings stilled in their movements and he curled up in his protective position like the Gryffindor had seen him earlier. He even had a feeling that he should curl up himself, but he was too curious and didn't even want to pretend like he cared about Voldemort's little brainless minions.

After the men clad in black cloaks and frightful masks had settled themselves in a circle around the both boys, Voldemort came in and after him trailed a few of the vampires Harry had met earlier and seen in his dreams.

The noseless freak was walking slowly into the large hall, he was smirking while he inspected Draco's soul, but his face crumpled up in a much bigger sneer as he looked at Harry.

"How does it feel to be defeated?" Voldemort came to stand next to him, but in the end he had to look up, because Harry was far much higher for the monster to even touch him. "You felt so powerful, all the time protected by your friends and lucky coincidences. I imagine you even believed that you could destroy me, because your little friend, Dumbledore, talked it in to you, isn't that right? But well, you see now, how easy it was for me to take care of that old fool. And now where do you stand?" Voldemort stared at Harry, looking over his body and sneered. "Naked and without a body, Potter, now everyone in the Wizarding World will see how pathetic you are really; how weak and helpless."

Draco had now straightened and was looking angrily at Voldemort, his wings were flapping around him as if he wanted to tear free form his confinement and rush over to crack open the Dark Lord's skull with just his teeth.

Voldemort laughed at that and called: "Lucius, come forward and look at this being, so far from human that he even acts like an animal."

Lucius Malfoy did step out of the circle of Death Eaters and as he took his hood down, Harry was shocked to actually see him enjoying himself. He gazed at his own son with malicious glee. He impersonated the saying about revenge being sweet at that moment, but the Gryffindor could not understand what Draco could have possibly done so horrible that his own father would turn on him in such a ruthless manner.

But Draco didn't even seem to care about himself, he held still while nobody was threatening Harry, but as soon as Voldemort amd Lucius advanced a little too close or fast towards the darker boy, he was growling and scratching and hitting the insides of his glass ball.

_Draco?_

_I will kill them, when I get my hands on them, Harry, I swear. Nobody can speak that way of you!_

Voldemort and Lucius were just continuing to gaze at the both souls in front of them, looking like two hunters when the season for underage schoolboy merciless killing had begun earlier then either of them had anticipated.

"We actually at first tried to get Miranda to attack you both, but she failed. Our plan was to get Draco changed into a raging vampire or even better- killed by you, and then you would go around the world with a death wish, not being able to bear the truth that also you, the sweet saint of Gryffindor, can be a killer," the elder Malfoy was now gloating and Voldemort was looking at him like a proud father. It was sickening to observe. "But then we have modified the plan due to the fact of you now being mated. And now we will have you two to brighten up this room, we were even thinking of designing it more to suit your needs and transform it into an assembly hall for more informal events like Christmas Balls or Valentine's Masquerades. It is an incredibly brilliant plan."

"For as long as it lasts, of course," Voldemort continued, gazing at Harry. "We have left the both of your bodies at a Muggle hospital. I suppose you have a bit longer time that Draco, since he has already been in coma for about a week, but neither of us wanted to look into the formal procedures of unknown people in coma with no relatives or anything. I seriously doubt that they will keep you alive for a long time."

"But it gets easier with every second. Nobody could have imagined that you both could drop so low as to actually fall in love with one another. And to imagine this was all thanks to the attack that mated you… Isn't it ironic, Potter? You fell into the Dark Lord's trap as you tried to go foolishly after your soul mate and _lover_," Lucius spat out the last word as if it was something absolutely foreign and indescribably disgusting to him.

Harry heard a loud yell in his head that made him jump and after a few seconds he was gazing directly in Draco's eyes. The blonde had somehow managed to move his cell and had pushed in to Harry's.

The smaller boy looked scared; he was still pressing his palms against the glass from the inside, just where the both balls connected. Harry reached his own hand, forgotten that he could not touch the boy, but their palms connected and Draco to everyone's shock stepped into Harry's confinement ball merging it with his own.

_Are you alright? How did you do it?_

_I don't know, Harry. I just wanted to be with you, no matter what. And… well, I did it._

Harry felt so good to finally be able to touch his soul mate, now in a literal meaning, more than ever. The boy looked into Draco's eyes; he was surprised at how light they looked. They were silver, with a slightly darker lining, but in the middle they glistened almost white. He bent down and kissed the beautiful being, making his body remember the soft feeling of his lips, their warmth and the almost impossible calm he felt when he tasted the other in his mouth.

They drew back to find a room full of Death Eaters, vampires, Lucius Malfoy and Voldemort himself looking flabbergasted, staring with their mouths agape.

Harry wrapped his hand around Draco's waist and pulled him protectively closer. The blonde complied with the touch and put his head contently in the crook between Harry's shoulder and neck, pulling his own arms around him, smirking.

_Let's give them the shock of their lives, shall we__, Harry? _

_You lead the way._ Harry smiled and kissed the top of Draco's blonde head.

"Actually, and I have never been a great admirer of your strategies, I think that this has been your most stupid plan ever, _Voldy_," Draco drawled, meanly emphasizing the last word. Harry had almost forgotten what an asshole the blonde could be.

"I bet that by now," Harry continued: "You are starting to get REALLY pissed. You were always a sore looser."

"Silence, imbeciles!" Lucius bellowed and for a minute the persons present believed to have seen even Voldemort flinch at this.

But the Dark Lord recovered quickly: "May I remind you, Potter, that you have not done anything to prove your point. Don't get excited and stop this obnoxious fiddling with each other. Even animals have more decency than you two!"

"Why, _Voldy_, I never knew you were such a _prude_," Draco giggled in a manner that only he could make malicious. He then licked down a trail on Harry's neck and collar bone and smiled contently as the other boy leaned into the touch with enthusiasm.

_Draco, we have to get out of here. We have to break out. As soon as possible._ Harry said using the moment of absolute confusion in the hall as Voldemort tried to find somebody to blame for what had happened.

_As if I hadn't thought about it__. Enlighten me, genius, how do we do that?_

_Call upon your protectors._

_What? _

_You have wyverns protecting you, use it. Make them come and get us out of this shit._

_You're a strange person; I knew that from the beginning, Potter. _Draco smirked into his neck. It felt funny saying the boy's last name without any real malice. Well, maybe not really _saying_ it, but _thinking _anyway.

_Just try to do it. You are in mortal __danger; actually, we are not far from dead already, so why should they not help you?_

Finally one of the vampires came forth to face Voldemort, whose rage was now directed at everyone, since he was not able to harm the people who had made him angry in the first place. Even the Dark Lord, as vain and self-centered as he was, understood that it was impossible even for him to harm souls; that it was a power beyond him.

"Well, what is happening? Should they be able to talk? Or _kiss_?!" Voldemort hissed and the vampire cowered into the floor even deeper that he already was.

"Um, my Lord, they are soul mates. And now they are together…"

"I CAN SEE THAT! I am not an idiot! Do you wish to insult me, vampire?" Voldemort brandished his wand and pointed at the lower creature that started to whimper.

"We did warn you, sir, I mean, Master, about them being very powerful. And now… now they can do anything. Two soul mates together don't have to have bodies to be able to do anything...," the vampire seemed to be on the verge of crying.

"What do you mean with any-" Lucius came forward with his own wand drawn, but was interrupted when the whole hall suddenly filled with hot heat and a loud roar broke out in the room.

"What the-" Voldemort whirled around, but froze as he saw a large, red dragon with three heads breathing fire upon the glass ball in which both Harry and Draco were succumbed.

The dragon roared and almost all of the people in the room Disapparated in fear. Voldemort and Lucius were the only ones still standing.

"_HEY, VOLDY! YOU'RE A LOOSER!_" came a yell and the next thing the Dark Lord noted was a sound of a crack and the glass ball shattered and sticky, lustrous liquid spilled on the floor. Both of boys' souls were nowhere to be seen. They had returned to their bodies.

--

Harry woke up with a start and started coughing. The wires connected to his body tugged at him painfully when his body tried to move and the boy just tore them off of him and sat up in the bed.

He found himself in a Muggle hospital room just like the one Draco had been in.

_Draco? Are you fine?_

_Yeah. _Came a sleepy answer. _Were are we? What the hell are these things?! Ow!_

_A Muggle hospital. Now tear off those damned wires and find your clothes, we have to get out of here. _

_Hey, imagine, they didn't even take our wands from us. Imbeciles! They really were so self-assured that we will be so easy to defeat…_

Harry had opened a closet and after putting his clothes on, he checked the pockets of his jeans, happy that nothing seemed to be missing. He was thankful he had also taken Muggle money with him, because he could by no means Apparate in his current state.

_My head hurts, Harry… _Came a whine in his head. It felt funny to be able to hear the Slytherin, but not see him.

Harry realized that his head hurt, too. It was throbbing and the pulsing was making every sound he heard vibrate through his mind and create a horrible feeling that made him believe that someone was playing Exploding Snap inside his skull.

_Now get out of your room and try to find out on which floor you are. _

_Fifth floor, I'm standing next to the reception. I bet my hair looks ugly. And, ugh, I want to shower. Now!_

_Wait. _Harry emerged from his own room and felt relieved that he was on the same floor. He went through the corridors, trying to avoid the few people that were there at the ungodly hour of morning. Thankfully he found the reception and saw Draco.

He halted and realized how weird it felt now to look at him. He hadn't forgotten anything from the events only seconds ago, but it felt different. He came next to the blonde boy and wrapped his arms around him. Draco, not having seen Harry approaching, started at the embrace, but after he recognized his friend, he relaxed.

"You shouldn't scare people like that, Harry," the boy's voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't used it for a long time. It was, in fact, almost a week.

The Gryffindor answered kissing the back of Draco's long and lean neck, where his blonde hair wasn't long enough to cover it.

"We have to get out," Harry nodded in agreement, but couldn't quite stop kissing his soul mate. "Really, Harry, I mean it. People are starting to look at us funny. And I want to get you alone as soon as possible…"

Harry drew back reluctantly and started looking around for the elevator: "They will most probably come looking for us soon, right? We better not use magic for as long as we can."

They took the elevator to the underground parking lot, much to Draco's reluctance because the boy seemed to feel a bit claustrophobic in small places.

"It will be over, soon…" Draco mumbled, embarrassed. "After all I did spend _many_ days trapped in a glass ball… I will get over it. Some day."

Harry snickered and earned a punch from the blonde.

"Yeah, you may look like an angel, with wings and all, but you are a real bastard."

"Having a seizure of delusions, Potter? What wings?" the blonde furrowed his eyebrows.

"Your soul had wings, Draco. Didn't you notice?"

The blonde had only a few seconds to look shocked and confused because the elevator finally stopped and they could get out.

"Let's steal that car," Draco was looking around the underground parking lot erratically and pointed a finger at the Lexus standing parked in the far corner.

_Typical, out of all the cars he just had to pick the most expensive one._ Harry thought while they where running.

"Draco, wait, don't do anything to the car before you have silenced the alarms. They make a great noise. And we will need to get really fast away from here as you use your magic, it could be traced."

Draco obeyed and put a mute charm on the automobile before spelling it open. The doors quietly opened and they got in to the car. Harry noticed Draco gazing at him impatiently, as if waiting for him to tell what to do next, and asked: "What?"

"You do know how to drive this thing, do you?" Draco looked at him with his eyes full of uncertainty. Harry felt exactly the same, but wasn't ready to admit it.

"Kind of…"

And Draco lost it: "What?! You have been living in the Muggle world all your childhood and don't know how to drive the most frequently used object of transportation, Potter?!"

"Well, of course not, you are only allowed to have a driving license when you're old enough. And I'm not," Harry started looking around for keys, but to nobody's surprise, they were nowhere to be found. "Can't you move it by magic and I'll just steer?"

"Merlin, fuck," Draco got his wand once again out and tried to think of an appropriate incantation. "Any suggestions? What kind of a spell we are looking for?"

"Well, since we don't have the keys, we need something like a boost to get this thing moving and then I can try to take over."

"Right, well, _Animato_," Draco said and not only the engine started roaring, but also the radio and all of the lights sprang on. Harry was thankful that the alarm hadn't started at the shock.

"Don't just stare at it, do something! We have to get out of here before they get us!"

Harry with no further hesitation grabbed the steering wheel and put his foot on the gas pedal. He had tried to do this a couple of times, but never before in such haste. He spent a long time looking around for the reverse, not knowing even how it looked, but finally did took a quick glance at Draco who was all the time staring out of all the windows for anyone that was coming after them, scared of what might happen next.

"Draco," he said softy and the other boy turned to face him. "You alright?" A nod. "Ready?" Another nod. "Okey, so let's go."

With that he moved the car out of the parking spot and switched back to normal mode.

"By the way, do you know which way is the exit, Draco?"

The blonde boy showed a direction, since he had gotten a good look at the parking lot, and Harry turned the car and drove.

"Wow, I'm driving a car… This is pretty fucking scary…" Harry mumbled as he drove them out of the parking lot, barely stopping at the street, but thanks to all the mighty forces, there were almost no cars on the street, since it being really early in the night/morning and turned to go down the street.

"Well, let's hope you don't get us both killed," Draco grunted as Harry made a quick brake by the red traffic light.

"Oh yeah, you might want to fasten your seat belt," but the other boy just looked at him as he were suddenly speaking in German or something.

As Harry tried to show his mate what exactly a seat belt was and how to fasten it for security sakes, the green light appeared and they had to drive on.

"Two questions, Harry."

"Hmm?"

"First, can't you drive faster???" Draco appeared to be panicky, all the time looking around the streets and fidgeting in his seat trying to look behind them.

"Well, I don't want to get us killed and also I don't want to get halted over by the traffic warden, since I have no idea what the maximum allowed speed is."

"Well, if you don't know, you can't be sure you will be breaking it? Anyway you are driving a stolen car without a license…" Draco grinned mischievously and lifted an eyebrow at Harry who complied and increased the speed.

"And what was the second question?"

"Where are we going???"

Harry almost put his foot on the breaks. "Errr…"

"Ever the eloquent Gryffindor, I see," Draco just snickered. He seemed to have relaxed by now since he couldn't notice anyone rushing down the pavement after them. "My suggestion is- get us as far away as possible. To the country, would be the best. A farm with a lot of sheep. No, scratch that. Somewhere safe with people we can trust…"

"In that case we just need to find any hotel," Harry smiled sweetly at the boy, looking away from the road and earning a few _beeps_ from the other people driving. "You can pay those people that work there to be reliable."

"That means that anyone can to that! And they can find us if they come looking," the boy hissed. "It's not exactly the type of 'safe' I had in mind!"

"Firstly, it's the only kind of 'safe place with people we can trust' we have right now. And those who come looking for us will have to pay more money that we will bribe those people with and it will have to be _a lot_ to top us. Secondly, they will have to go to all of the hotels to find us. _Muggle hotels_, Draco. Do you think really they'll do that?"

After a few minutes driving around and looking for any decent looking hotel, Draco finally spoke: "Um, Harry?"

"Yeah, what?"

"How much money do you intend to bribe them with? And were do we get Muggle money? I don't have any with me."

Harry answered distractedly finally seeing one acceptable looking hotel in the city centre they were in, by the looks of it- Edinburgh: "I have some…"

"Some, huh? How much? How do you know it will be enough?" Draco started to panic once again. "If it's not, we will get killed before we even blink!"

"A few thousand pounds…" Harry's answer was once again distracted because he couldn't quite figure out how to pull the car on the side of the street.

"Wow… I didn't quite expect that… Watch it! You almost hit that car!" Draco screamed, but they had finally parked and got out.

"Everything will be okey, don't worry," Harry came next to Draco and kissed him on the lips before they crossed the street and entered the hotel.

_**Author's note: **Well, with today my work has officially restarted, so to say, and now the chapters will be uploaded less frequently (that means, not every day, but in a range of 2-3 days), although we are heading towards the end of this nightmare and I will not bother you any more:) I actually had hoped to finich this story till today, but it has turned a bit longer than I anticipated... I generally write only short stories, my latest (original piece of work, no fanfiction) was only 20,000 words and I already thought it was hell of a long story! (right now I suppose there will be max 14-15 chapters...)_

_Anyway, I hope you **enjoy** reading it as much as I want to finish it and don't forget to **review**, otherwise- I will come back for you from my grave and haunt you, muahaha..._

_Till the next time, MercurialLeo:)_


	11. White Magic

**11****- White Magic**

"Welcome to Windy Shores hotel, gentlemen," the receptionist was smiling friendly at Draco and Harry as they approached the front desk. "How may I help you?"

Harry got suddenly confused because he had never been in a real hotel before and looked at Draco, who smirked at his behavior: "We would like to have a room, if you have any free ones."

The woman was a little plump but with a kind face and answered straight away: "Yes, we have vacant rooms, what kind of a room would you like to have?"

Draco smirked after a small moment of thinking: "Do you have a suite? And is it by any chance vacant for the next…um… three days?"

She checked something in her computer, but then happily responded: "Yes, would you like to have it?"

"By all means," Draco answered and started looking around. "And where is the bar?"

Harry looked at his companion in disbelief. Just a few hours ago they were in the clutches of Voldemort and his gang of Death Eaters, but now Draco seemed resolved to get drunk. Then he looked at the receptionist, wanting to apologize to her for the Slytherin's stupid behavior, but she just chirpily answered him and indicated with her hand the direction. Harry didn't know who shocked him the most, the weird woman in the reception that seemed abnormally friendly and sympathetic, or Draco, who seemed to act like at home, obviously used to hanging around hotels.

But it all had a good side to it after all. Draco could easily talk the woman into signing the room on someone else's name, with a little help from Harry's purse with which he got acquainted surprisingly quickly. They paid for the room and moved in the direction of the bar, when the receptionist asked them: "Is that your Lexus on the other side of the street, gentlemen? We have a secure parking lot in the hotel, if you would like to use it."

Harry didn't know what to answer her and hesitated, but Draco just drawled casually: "No, sorry, you must be mistaken. We don't have a car."

The woman then looked a bit confused, but just nodded.

In the elevator, after having purchased a bottle of whisky, Draco gave Harry his purse back and smiled sweetly saying: "You had a little more than two thousand in there. I can't believe you're walking around with so much cash. It's even more astounding how you didn't get robbed in the hospital."

"I don't spend my time counting money, but when I decided to come after you, I took all I had. I had actually no idea where you were. I don't even want to think how much Galleons I have… But it was funny seeing how you could handle pounds. I never imagined that I had always thought of you only in relation with the Wizarding World. And now we are in a hotel…"

Draco looked back at the raven haired boy, and leaning his head against the elevator wall, said: "I did spend my whole summer in the Muggle world moving from one hotel to the other. So this is nothing new to me… Merlin, I want to sleep for a decade. I feel do bloody tired. Are people supposed to feel like that after waking up from a coma?"

"I have no idea, but my head still hurts…"

The elevator came to a halt and they stepped out of it. In the whole hall there was only one door with the room number 701 and Draco opened it with the electronic card key the receptionist had given for each of them, since Harry wouldn't have known how to use it.

"Merlin, this is really a suite, she wasn't lying," the blonde exclaimed as he got in and started walking through the rooms of the apartment. It was decorated nicely, but impersonal and too tidy for Harry's taste.

"She gave us a room with a double bed… Are we really that obvious?" the Gryffindor muttered as he had followed Draco into the bedroom, but the other was too busy inspecting the bathroom.

"Do you know how rarely you can see a real bathtub in hotel rooms? It's like a fucking miracle! And we have sauna, too. Mmm. I never want to leave… Harry, what's wrong? Why are you staring at the bed so funny?" Draco approached him and followed the gaze until it dawned on him: "Hey, every suite has only a double bed. Some hotels have suites with a lot of bedrooms, but all of them are always with double beds. She didn't give us this room because she thought we were flaming homosexuals… Although, I suppose that's how I came across, not that I mind."

"Is that why you wanted the suite? Because of the bed?" Harry smirked at his companion, raising one eyebrow.

"No, I like suites because they are the only rooms that look good in hotels and are at least partly livable. You haven't seen 'normal' double or, Merlin help, single rooms, they look like jail cells. The king size bed is just a good bonus," the blonde grinned and ran his fingers through Harry's hair.

The taller boy swallowed hard, suddenly nervous and dared to ask the question that was tormenting him all the time: "Er, Draco, do you think that… Lucius was right when he said we… are… attracted to each other because we are mated?"

The silver eyes suddenly hardened and the boy withdrew his hand, stepping a few steps away from Harry: "No, I know it's not true. And Lucius said that we have fallen in love, that we are lovers. Don't tell me it will hurt you, when I say that we are not lovers. And answer me honestly- do you think you have fallen in love with me?"

Harry didn't know how to deal with the change of Draco's attitude, because mostly when the boy had acted that way was when they were fighting: "No, I don't think so… You…"

"No, we have barely spent any time together for something like that to be possible. I cannot speak on your behalf why you decided to rush and come and save me, putting yourself in danger, but I suppose it was either because you care about me, which is a funny thing to admit, or that you just did what you usually do- run and save the world," the Slytherin had leaned against a wall turning his head towards the window, not looking at Harry.

"But, think about this, we kissed the first time _after_ the attack on us. But before that, I don't think I would have done the same… I'm not trying to prove that Lucius was right, but I…"

Draco turned his head finally and smiled sadly: "Trust me when I say, I find this as weird as you do, but I still can see the logic through it all. First, I would not be in trouble if there had been no attack. And also without the attack you would have never felt guilty or a part of any of this. Second, and don't think I don't know where you're aiming at, Harry, I seriously doubt you're straight…" he smiled a little evilly at the boy after saying the last sentence.

"And what makes you sure of that?" Harry felt defensive and on the verge of slowly getting angry.

"Well, how many girls do you like? And _not_ as friends or personalities or because of their sense of humor, but I mean, who would you fuck? As simple as that."

Harry glared: "That is so cruel, I don't think about fucking girls all the time. I just haven't met anybody recently that could be good for me…"

Draco pushed himself from the wall and came closer: "You seem pretty sexually active from my point of view, alright, I'm not trying to torment you or anything, just open your eyes, dolt!"

"Just because you're an exception, it doesn't make me gay," now he was getting frustrated, not understanding the whole point of this conversation.

Draco sighed: "Let me explain this to you. I suppose you could be bisexual for all I care, although I clearly see you _not_ being that, with a relationship status of zero. Um, remember the lesson about glamour charms? And why they are called white magic? Granger forgot to mention to one small but really catchy phrase- glamour charms are called white magic for the greatest part because they help you see the truth. For example- if you meat a girl that is actually a boy and you like her… eh, don't make me spell it out for you… actually I doubt you really want to know this…"

Harry glared: "What do you mean by that? I remember the lesson and all of this very well, but I have never met a girl that was really a boy. This is insane! And has nothing to do with my damned orientation or me liking you!"

Draco now stood against the wall once again and looked scared of what might happen if he said what he should: "Remember Ann?"

The hairs on Harry's neck rose with horror: "How-how do you know her? Did you pay someone to pull a prank on me? What are you getting at?!"

"Harry, I'm sorry… I don't… when I left my family, I had to mask myself. And the easiest of it all was… fuck! I can't believe I'm telling you this. I needed a glamour charm that could be done without a wand because I didn't want to get expelled for practising magic during the summer break. Sometimes when I wanted to go out during day and not be noticed… I… changed myself into a girl… I didn't realize that I had sat down next to you until you started talking… I'm so sorry, I wanted to tell you, but I was positive that you'd kill me and then I just forgot… It didn't seem important anymore…"

Draco was looking at Harry with pleading eyes; he had almost braced the wall in order to have somewhere to lean against. The Gryffindor was just looking at him in shock.

"Her eyes were blue, not silver! Don't try to trick me…" came the response, as he was just hoping that it was not true.

Draco's mouth fell open: "You remember her eye color?!"

Harry blushed and nodded: "Of course, I remember everything about her. She is the only girl I have ever liked, don't try to fool me, please, I liked her very much… Maybe you know about her because you paid her to trick me and go out and then just leave me waiting for her like a bloody idiot, but I still do like her. She was beautiful…"

"Harry," Draco said and the boy couldn't make out the tone in his voice. It sounded a bit astonished and awed. "You… you didn't have to tell me all of that…"

"So, well, what is the catch? Did you pay her or what?" Harry regained his lightheartedness in an instant, feeling like he had won.

"You don't want to know… don't ask me that."

"What? Was she some stripper or what? How bad can it be?" Harry tried to joke, to ease the tense atmosphere in the room.

"For fucks sake, Harry!" Draco yelled, but the other boy couldn't understand his frustration. "I would never leave my eyes the same color, just like didn't leave my hair the same length! I was hiding; do you know anybody else with damned silver eyes?! I didn't want to be recognized…"

Something broke in Harry at that minute. Like a stretched string that had waited to be pulled, but not so hard. It broke and Harry rushed forward pinning Draco to the wall by his forearms: "Tell me you're lying. Admit it!"

"I am not lying; I would never lie about something like this…" Draco started struggling against the Gryffindor's strong grip, feeling exposed and wanting to run and hide behind the furniture.

"But then why?" Harry hissed. "Why did you continue to pretend to be having fun? Why did you kiss me?" The last question came out as a hurt whisper.

"Because I really was having fun. And I was drunk, and I wanted to kiss you, I liked how you were talking to me. As if I were a normal human being not a dirty little Voldemort's cock's sucker all your friends still seem to think I am. I was a little drunk and nervous and, I like you, okey? Satisfied? I may not be in love with you, but I know that I don't feel attracted to you because of the damn soul mate thing! You had changed, somehow become more happier that time, I don't know why, but you can't even imagine how I felt. It was just a fucking coincidence. I didn't come for the second date because I didn't even want to imagine how far it all would go… I didn't want to hurt you. But I would have not have given a damn if I still looked like a girl and you fucked me! Do you now feel like you have humiliated me enough?!"

Harry didn't know if he wanted to pound Draco into the wall or kiss him till he would have to hold on to the same wall for his dearest senses. But he just stepped back, breathing erratically, trying to comprehend everything the blond had said.

Draco took a cautious step forward, but not too close to the other boy, feeling scared to provoke any aggression. He looked at Harry and saw him staring back. It was a look both of horror and realization.

It took only a second for Harry to grab the blonde and pull him into a kiss. He wrapped his hands around the smaller boy, with one palm on the small of his back, pressing him close and with the other hand holding his head in place, not letting Draco back off. He was ravishing the soft lips, the mouth that was the only one that he had actually kissed. He knew he was holding the other boy with a far too strong force, that at any moment, if he didn't control himself, he would break his soul mate, but he was too lost in the feelings and thoughts rushing trough his whole body and mind to care about any of that.

Draco moaned into his mouth and wrapped his arms around Harry, running his fingers through the thick, black hair and tugging at the shoulders. He leaned in for the touch, submitting and letting the other boy take from him as much as he wanted.

Harry dragged Draco to the bed, and pushed him lightly down, then lying on top of him, feeling the rapid beating of the blonde's heart against his chest while his own fingers traced and caressed his face and jaw line. He leaned down to kiss the long, slender neck and heard Draco gasping loudly every time he bit him. The blonde pulled Harry back and reclaimed his lips and moaned deeply once again as the stronger boy pressed his erection against Draco's.

They pulled their shirts off and after a few minutes their trousers were also on the floor. Draco wrapped his legs around Harry's waist and tugged at him. The raven haired boy was lost in the soft feeling of the blonde's skin against his own.

"Just do it," Draco breathed out and kissed him once again, seemingly fighting to keep his sanity by touching Harry everywhere were he could reach. "I don't want to wait any longer…"

"Don't you need some lubrication?" the Gryffindor licked his lips in nervousness. Ever since the accident with the scratches he was cautious, but still couldn't wrap his brain around Draco's extreme neccessity for pain.

"Don't know, don't care, just…" he was broken off as he pulled a sharp breath and gasped as Harry pushed in him not wanting to be told twice. Draco arched his back and dug his nails in his back and struggled for breath and the feeling was threatening to overwhelm him with its completeness. He felt like he was finally where he wanted to be, doing what he had for so long craved for and with whom he wanted to do it. Like he was being taken and possesed.

Draco put his one hand around Harry's shoulders and the other twisted in the bed cover as the stronger boy started to move, pulling out and then thrusting once again in. He moved his hips to meet the pleasure, clenching his teeth to prevent him from shouting in ecstasy.

Draco moaned loudly as he felt Harry's fingers on his erection, moving in the same rhythm as his hips were and not being to hold on any longer, he came. From the whole set of climax his muscles convulsed around Harry's cock inside of him and the boy let his orgasm pour out in the deepest secret part of the Slytherin.

He then pulled out and lay down next to his soul mate. For a minute he thought he had seen the white feathery wings as Draco pulled the covers around them and snuggled closer, as they fell asleep, their breathing and heart rates slowly returning back to steady.

--

As Draco woke up and started stirring, Harry awoke with him. He opened his bright green eyes and looked into the sleepy silver ones.

"Mmm… 'Morning."

"Good night, more like it, it's dark outside, Harry. We slept through the whole day."

"Do you have an urgent appointment? Why worry?" the Gryffindor rolled on his back and stretched like a lion. "If we don't count the time I spent in coma, I hadn't slept for almost two days. I feel so good now," the boy grinned and looked around the really huge bed. "Wow, we really made a mess."

Draco curled up under the covers, not wishing to leave the warmed up spot where he had slept: "That's just what I love about hotels; we don't have to clean it all up… I think that I will take full advantage of our wonderful sauna… when I'm ready to get up…" He mumbled digging his head into the soft pillows even deeper and hiding beneath the curtain of shiny blonde hair.

Harry stared at Draco's head for a while and then gingerly touched the silky strands of hair. They felt like water running over his fingers and he was overwhelmed how the color changed depending from light, it glistened in the range from pure white to silver and sunny yellow. The Slytherin raised his head and looked at Harry. The moonlight reflected in his eyes, making them seem to be like whirling orbs of quicksilver. The emotion in them was strong enough to penetrate their beauty; they seemed curious, searching, just like a cat's and as shiny.

But Harry was more shocked because of the trust that appeared there. It was something he had never seen in the boy's eyes before- complete submission that even made him wonder about his own worthiness.

"You are beautiful… I can't help thinking it over and over again… You are the most beautiful person to walk this earth, Draco," Harry breathed and traced his fingers over the boy's forehead and nose, touching his lips before kissing them.

"Are you only saying this to get me in bed?" the Slytherin smirked and raised one eyebrow.

"I already have you in bed, now I want to get you in the sauna," Harry smirked back and got up.

The blonde followed him into the spacious bathroom. After they had heated up the sauna, Draco looked at Harry calculatingly: "You do realize that eventually you will have to tell me how you thought of the dragon to save us. It was really beautiful by the way…"

Harry snorted: "Yeah, a decadent dragon for a decadent person."

Draco just leaned in further and said in low voice: "You have already taken my virginity; you have no excuses not to tell me your secrets, _love_…" He emphasized the last word to pick on Harry's strings, but he had no idea that he had caught the boy's attention with an absolutely different thing.

Harry jumped with a start, eyes wide and disbelieving: "What? This… This was your first time?! Oh my god! Jesus fucking Christ! You should have told me before!"

Draco smirked: "I thought you knew! I thought it was because of the wings, and well, that you had figured out…"

Harry started to shake his head: "No, no, no. I didn't have wings. You had yours because of the dragon protection. You are somehow blessed or something because of that."

It was Draco's turn to look shocked: "What?! It was your… fuck, you were… Merlin!"

Harry laughed: "Do you know… You are the only person I have kissed… technically speaking, Ann gave me my first kiss…" He then peered cautiously at the other boy, not knowing how he felt about the whole boy-turned-into-a-girl thing. But the other was just smirking mischievously.

"Do you want me to change again? Maybe you would get some kind of a kink out of it? Or maybe you like her better?"

Harry grinned: "No, I will not come near to a girl ever, not knowing _what_ she really is. And quit avoiding the subject. How about that time in King Cross Station? You were with the… other guy… in the cabin…"

"It was just a blowjob!!!"

"I knew I should have never trusted you," Harry mumbled, remembering the comment about getting laid daily from the blonde.

"You should finally start taking your own advice then. And anyway, what do you think I am- a slut?" Draco pouted mockingly.

Harry just smirked: "Does it matter, what I think of you?"

"Now, that is a trick question, I'm not answering that!"

"Why? Because you're afraid of what the answer might be?"

"Damn, Potter! That brain you seem to have acquired over the summer appears to be functioning properly!"

"You don't think of me too highly, do you?" Harry raised one eyebrow, imitating his soul mate.

"That's your problem, _Potter_. And you are the one avoiding subjects- you didn't answer me about the dragon."

Harry grinned evilly: "That's your problem, _Malfoy_."

"O, sancta simplicitas!" Draco exclaimed looking at the ceiling. "And I was here in the wrong to be thinking that I was with the one and only Pure Savior of the Wizarding World! But he has rubbed off me and now is completely mocking me!"

"Calm down, you, Latin geek, I will give you the research that Hermione did on dragons and wyverns, then you will know as much as I know about your protection. And you should not judge a man from his hat. Because sometimes a hat wants to put him in Slytherin, too," Harry smiled and Draco's gasp of shock was muffled by the steam rising from the hot stones as Harry poured water over them.

"That's why you are so evil! I new it from the beginning, there is now way to fool me, you know!" Draco crossed his arms on his chest and furrowed his brows.

Harry took the other boy's face in his hands and kissed him, leaving the Slytherin flustered and craving for a little bit more of everything: "But maybe you're too deep in love with me that you just can't see the reality clearly and are already fooled…"

"Actually, I don't know, but... I think... I don't care anymore," Draco whispered, not drawing away from Harry's hands that were still cradling his face, and leaned in for another kiss.

They had both gone easily from a light-minded and trivial exchange of witty remarks to more earnest confessions, that left them thinking it over and feeling only the seriousness of their relationship and how tightly it had wound around their hearts.

Last night unknowingly they had reached the point of no return and had crossed it. Now they were two against the world and had to start quickly looking for allies.


	12. Lost to be Found

_**Author's Note: **I know I've been a right down bastard not to have updated for almost a month, but work has been horrible for the past three weeks, it's almost as if the idiots there can't do anything without me! I've been working overtime sometimes even till midnight and coming home tired, not having any time to go partying, my spanish lessonsor even for such trivial and horrible things as clean the house. Right now I'm sitting in wet jeans because they are actuallythe cleanest anddriest clothes I have at the moment._

_On this note I give you the latest chapter ;p_

**12- ****Lost to be Found**

Draco and Harry were both lying in the bed, spooned together, silently breathing as if they were fearing the outside world could sweep in any second in their private safety if they made a noise.

"You do know that we have to find some help, don't you? I am not entirely sure we can go back to Hogwarts…" Harry quietly said into the blonde's neck, realizing they had to talk about their situation at some point.

"I know…" Draco sighed and fell quiet, but then sat up in the bed and looked at his mate. "But you have a lot of people you could go to. You have been running around saving people and doing the craziest things imaginable. You have always had people who have supported you no matter how many rules you have broken. What about that werewolf professor? Surely, he would know some way we could find solutions to our problem."

Harry frowned and said: "Look out of the window."

Behind their backs the moon was shining powerfully and was flawlessly rounded.

"Oh… Fuck. But there must be some other…" Draco refused giving up. "Well, Dumbledore is definitely out of the question… It would be too easy anyway…"

Harry got reluctantly up from the bed, sighing, and after looking around a bit, found something and then settled down back next to the blonde boy with a whisky bottle. He opened it and drank.

"Harry…" the Slytherin took the bottle away, but couldn't resist not trying the liquor. "Although this whisky is pretty darn good… We have to check-out tomorrow and have to find at least a refuge spot."

"I don't want to involve Ron and Hermione. It would mean taking them out of Hogwarts and placing them into danger. It's better if we don't give them even as much as an owl about where we are and what has happened… I don't even know what is going on at the moment in the Wizarding World. We can't be sure that everybody we have ever known isn't right now turned against us… Or murdered. Or don't care and feel like it's only for the best that we don't ever return," Harry took the bottle again when it was offered and swallowed a far larger amount of alcohol. "I mean, who knows? Maybe it is really for the best if we disappear or get slaughtered. I'm sorry I dragged you into this."

Draco got angry: "You didn't drag me into anything! This just happened! It is nobody's fault that Voldemort is a madman on a killing spree for fun! He should be put in a lunatic asylum in one cell together with Dumbledore!"

Harry turned his head and looked at the boy: "What do you think Voldemort did to him? I mean, I know he was just boasting about that, but as far as I have gathered, Madame Pomfrey was using Glamour Charms to make him fall in love with her. Do you think the charms didn't really work and Voldemort used it to put some spell on Dumbledore?"

"Madame Pomfrey?! I was wondering why suddenly everybody seemed to moon over her. She is as old as the world!" Draco exclaimed and continued the passing around of the whisky to Harry the same way they had done once at the infirmary.

Harry snickered: "Yeah, I know, Hermione told me it had been like that since the beginning of the year, but I only noticed that a few days ago… I guess, you were right, I was gay all the time…"

"You know, I always liked drinking with you. Instead of getting all whiny, you just take matters less seriously."

Harry froze almost choking on whisky, but luckily avoiding the unpleasant experience: "So that's why you took me out that night! You-Ann… had been drinking… You knew…"

Draco smirked: "Yeah, but I actually was amazed that you didn't give much thought to my attitude that evening. It's not like I would have done something so rash normally. Even despite that nice flight we had to Hogwarts that made us ex-rivals."

"I like how it sounds. Ex-rivals… But you really hated me, didn't you?"

"Hey, you never gave me that dragon research you were talking about!" Draco said and Harry started rummaging around his jeans to find to scrap of parchment. Then he took it and read silently. "Wow, I never even had known my parents did something like that. I had heard of it, that pureblood families in the past had done it, I had always been told that my name was because of a star constellation. But I guess this finally explains why I tend to choose the hardest way in life…"

"Welcome to my world of the stupidest choices ever," Harry smiled sadly and raised the bottle in a mock toast before drinking and giving it back to his mate.

"I have to give you that- you did make an excellent choice to come after me. How did you find where they were hiding me?" Draco inquired lying down with his head in Harry's lap feeling a bit tipsy after having drunk half a bottle so rapidly.

"I didn't have to know where you were. Remember, when you told me that we were able to talk to each other in our thoughts and having this connection enabled us to find each other and Apparate there at any time? I just used it. I Apparated to you, not to a place…"

Draco's eyes widened: "You know how to Apparate? Who taught you that?"

Now it was time for Harry to look taken back. After thinking for a few moments, he answered finally to the question, or was he talking to himself: "…Snape…"

"Snape taught you to Apparate? You must have blackmailed him! He would have never helped you with anything being in his right mind," Draco laughed quietly, not having noticed the change in Harry's composure.

"Actually I did blackmail him. But he didn't know that I wanted to learn to Apparate to save you. He was all against me rushing to save you. He thinks I keep the sanity of the Wizarding population intact, so I should be sheltered and guarded that nothing happens to me. But, listen, I only just thought about it- Snape could help us! He would do anything for you, I even suspect that he has a secret crush on you," Harry added smirking.

"Don't make fun of him if you're going to go and ask for help to him."

"I am not making fun of him. He is gay, that's with what I blackmailed him. Pomfrey's glamour didn't work on him, too. But _I_ am not going to ask for help, _we_ are, Draco," Harry said, looking sternly at the boy in his lap.

"He's gay?! How on earth has he managed to hide it from Voldemort all this time?"

"I suppose it isn't so hard for him. I imagine not a soul would want to fuck him, so it isn't pretty suspicious," Harry laughed and noticed Draco frowning at him. "Okey, I admit it, now I really was making fun of him. But you have to agree, he is ugly."

"He is not! He has this perfect baritone and the profile he has! If he washed his hair and wasn't so shy… don't you look at me like that! Maybe he is just not your type; maybe you like blondes, ha! Got you!" Draco laughed out loud evilly. "I, on the other hand, like the dark, sensual and mysterious type. You should be thankful for that."

"I am _not _sensual!" Harry frowned in an irritated manner: "Okey, but we have to find a way to contact him. Somehow send a message."

"Are you really sure he will help? I mean, the man hates the sight of you. Maybe he would just call the Dark Lord to gloat of his power… you should be careful."

"I could always threaten to expose him to Voldemort. It would be so easy if he tried anything as stupid as giving me over the mad man. Do you know any way to ask Snape for help? Some sort of type of a message to ask him what we should do not to get caught or something that wouldn't be too suspicious?"

Draco grinned a bright and wide smile of a mentally deranged person: "As a matter of fact, I do… Well, actually, you really have to be a blockhead not to think of it."

"Well? How do we get to him?" Harry inquired, not capable to imagine how to send a message to Snape, but in the same time not to be noticed by Voldemort or anyone that could mean harm for him and Draco.

"Are you a wizard or are you not, Harry? Where have you been living all these past years?" the blonde's grin turned even more maniacal and proud.

"Stop teasing, Draco! Tell me, so we can get to Snape before it's too late!"

"Harry, Harry, Harry. I never have thought youcould be this dense," the Slytherin was almost bursting from haughtiness. Then he sat up and started talking very slowly as if Harry was even more mentally challenged thanany Gryffindor had ever been. "We. Send. An. Owl."

He drawled the last word for almost a minute and Harry's expression changed from irritated to complete shock in that short moment: "What?!"

Draco sighed dramatically and gestured Harry to follow him: "Repeat after me- _we send an owl_! You do know those birds that sleep during day and hunt in the night to tear heads off small rodents like mice, por ejemplo. Oh, sorry, that's Spanish for – for example. I didn't want to confuse you," the blonde was violently sniggering and rolling around in the bed with a gleeful expression. He felt partly sorry that at that moment there was nobody there to see how lame he had made Harry look.

The Gryffindor growled loudly and grabbed the smaller boy by the forearms: "We can't possibly send Snape an owl! Anyone could intercept the message and link it back to us."

"Of course, we can! Do you know how many people send owls per day? Or even per hour?! I'm not in the right position to supply you with the correct numbers, but I can tell you that much- a _large_ number of owls fly around unceasingly. And even more owls are sent to Hogwarts during school years. We just don't notice any of it, because we're used to that, and nobody thinks that a bird flying around is something weird. Even the Dark Lord can't intercept every owl. And more to that- how could he possibly imagine that we would go to Snape looking for help? Think logically," Draco concluded his monologue with a proud and irritated sniff, feeling how Harry loosened his grip slowly understanding.

"Everything genius is simple in the core, you are really right. Even Voldemort, as mental as he is already, would not try to trace every owl in England. I suppose in this arrogant state he is right now he is positive that we have fled not to ever return… But we have to find a trained wizards owl. I don't have Hedwig and any way we still wouldn't be able to use her because she is just too conspicuous," Harry answered, slowly dragging his words and trying to fix the whole picture of them owling Snape in his mind together. He drained almost all of the left-over whisky.

"That's easy. I spent few weeks here, in Edinburgh during the summer and I know where the Wizarding Part of the city is. I bet we will be able to find some owl service there," Draco grabbed the almost empty bottle and finished off the whisky. Then he grinned broadly: "But don't you just love me? Not every person would be able to think so clearly after a half a bottle of liquor, not mentioning making up a great, cunning plot… I love myself…"

--

Both boys had fallen asleep easily, but the waking up part was accompanied with a horrible headache and dehydration that made them feel like prunes.

But Harry couldn't stop fidgeting, because the frightful feeling of anticipation followed him into the shower, while he was dressing or just watching Draco dress in the light of the morning. And then something occurred to him: "Um, Draco?"

The other boy lifted his head as he buttoned up his trousers: "Yeah, what?"

"We can't go outside. Someone will recognize us…"

The Slytherin rubbed his forehead and screwed up his face: "Oh, I didn't tell you, did I?"

"Tell me what?" Harry came closer and then sat on the bed that was still messy from the previous nights.

Draco looked out of the window searching for a way to dismiss this subject and start talking about anything else: "Um… Well, I already phoned the receptionist to get us two pairs of girls' clothing and everything. We will, by the way, need the rest of the money, I promised her that I will reward her accordingly…"

Draco smiled sweetly and leaned forward to Harry for a kiss, but the Gryffindor didn't want to drop the subject just yet: "Why do we need girls' clothing for? What have you planned?"

Seeing the slight hint of fear in Harry's eyes, Draco smirked: "You'll see…"

"Room service!" a knock on the door startled the both boys and they looked at each other and then at the door. "Room service, I have a package for you!"

"Your money, please," Draco looked at the darker boy. "This is the one thing that can help us not get caught."

After a few minutes and a pair of lewd jokes exchanged between the bellboy and the Slytherin, Draco returned to the bedroom with a stack of clothing.

"You don't really think that I will wear that?" Harry asked indignantly as he saw a short skirt and some high heals. "And how are we supposed to turn ourselves into girls if we can't use our wands in order to not get tracked and found?"

Draco just grinned victoriously: "The same way I did it during the summer. Glamour Charms!"

At first Harry paled and then turned brightly red: "You can't be serious! I… That's not…"

"I am serious, Harry," Draco dropped the clothes down on the bed and sat next to his mate. "I am _very_ serious in fact. This is the only way. Maybe we can walk through Edinburgh looking like ourselves, but when we get into the magical part of the city, there will be no way of no one recognizing us. Besides you liked how Ann looked…"

"That is an entirely different matter!" Harry exclaimed. "I liked how _you_ looked as a girl, but there is no way I am going to _be _a girl! That is just simply disgusting! And frightening! Eww, I can't understand how you… I feel nauseous already, just thinking about it, but to _really_ be a girl! No fucking way!"

--

The one thing Draco had found about Muggles and now was really fascinated by was that they had different items related with magic all around them, even in their household or as decorative elements of the furniture, but they never even noticed or questioned it.

For example, lavender oil or candles. Mirrors or even feathers. All of these things were used in glamour magic.

The previous summer as Draco had found out that glamour charms didn't require a wand or give out the wizards or witches magical signature, he had studied them in order to get away from his family and live in the Muggle world disguised as something or someone else entirely.

And even better Draco found the fancy Muggle hotels because they were full with decorative and seemingly useless items and the bathrooms were stacked with gels and creams of different scents and kinds.

That way during the whole summer he could transform himself and back, walk around the cities he stayed in at any time he wished to and not get caught. This was exactly what he had planned to do with Harry…

"I will never be able to look Hermione in the eye again…" Harry whined as he looked at his new breasts in a frightened manner. His voice had gotten a little bit higher and accompanied his whining creating an extremely annoying sound as if he really were a girl.

"What has Granger have to do with this? She will never find out about this either way! Now change the clothes! We have to check-out soon!" Draco tossed his long blond hair back as it interfered with his movements and felt irritated by the way he was attracted to a female version ofHarry.

"She is a girl! Now I will know… ew," Harry continued whining and puffing as he tried to get out of his male clothes not looking at his new body. "Oh, my God! You know, Draco, I have never seen a naked girl before and I never really wanted to see myself naked as a girl. How could you stand it?"

Draco just shrugged and started to look through the clothes on the bed: "Got used to it, I guess. But it still feels weird, you know." He turned his head back to Harry and found the sight of a half naked girl with just a sweaterondistracting as it had never been before. Draco swallowed hard and whispered: "But now it is even weirder. I have never in my life felt attracted to a girl, never found a girl sexy or… but, now you…"

Harry looked nice as a girl, he had round hips and big breasts, but his waist was so slim Draco imagined he could twine his fingers around it. His hair, much like the Slytherin's, had lengthened and revealed the fact that it actually had a curly texture. It curledin the ends as it fell in thick black threads over his back. His green eyes now had more pronounced long eyelashes and his kissable lips had gotten fuller and redder.

But in any other way Harry was unrecognizable, as Draco himself was in his female form. Their bodies had changed entirely, their faces had retained onlya fewfeatures such as Draco's high cheekbones and aristocratic look or Harry's bright green eyes.

Now they were looking at each other, not able to comprehend the situation and why they felt so attracted to each other.

"Maybe the damned bond is fucking with us," Harry whispered as they slowly neared to each other.

Draco breached the distance and grabbed Harry's face to kiss him. The kiss was softer as the ones he had had withany boy, and he also felt startled by round, big breasts pressing against his own. But despite any laws of his sexual orientation, he didn't feel disgusted or detached from it all, but instead he wanted to explore what else could be experienced and how different it was from what they had done in the previous few weeks.

"I want to see you naked," the Slytherin whispered as they broke the kiss and helped his mate take off the sweater he had been wearing. He cautiously touched the naked breasts and then took off his own shirt. "No wonder you thought you were straight, I could even convince myself now…"

Harry just responded with kissing Draco's neck and collar bone and pressed the other body closer.

"Mmm… Harry, as much as I don't want to break this up, we have to get going… mmm, keep doing that, no, wait, stop," Draco pushed Harry back.

"What's wrong? Snape can wait…"

"No, this charm is only temporarily active; we will change back in six hours. We have get to Snape before that. We really have to go."

--

Both boys looking like girls entered a restaurant named _Shakespeare's_ in the center of Edinburgh and Draco, having been there before, went to the bartender and leaning on the bar whispered in a low voice: "The show is always over when the Veela sings, don't you agree?"

The bartender just smiled secretively and led Draco and Harry to the back of the restaurant where the kitchens were supposed to be and showed them a small passage in the wall, lookingmuch like justa black portal. Stepping through it, Harry found himself on a street, similar to the one on which people arrived in Diagon Alley from the Leaky Couldron, but this one was much more... Scottish.

"I think I have seen an Owl Office somewhere around here, let's take a look," Draco took Harry's small female hand and dragged him off the street full of motion.

They maneuvered through the extremely lively traffic of witches and wizards of all ages and since Harry had gotten a hang on it since they had went down Prince's Street when Draco had had to forcefully drag his mate all the way along till the end and cursed considerably about antisocial people and also something about absolute bangling idiots, they found the Owl Office in no time.

It was a considerably large office, but a relaxing pause from the overwhelming mass of the Wizarding society due to its almost empty state. Draco boldly walked to one of the counters his high heals clicking on the tiled floor. Harry followed suit in a more self-conscious manner and much smaller steps since he hadn't been so lucky as Draco and his female form didn't have legs that grew out of his armpits.

An old lady that, much to the Gryffindor's shock, wore glasses that looked as if they were decorated by hairy tarantulas around the edges, sat behind a shimmering magicglass wall that let sound through, butotherwise was unbreachable. She inspected them both carefully and rudely gave some parchment and directed them to the writing stands.

"So, what do we write to Snape? _Come and help us, we are in deep shit?_" Draco drawled as he inspected the quill on the stand whether it hadn't been chewed on.

"You know him better, you tell me," Harry leaned against the high stand where they were supposed to write their letter and mumbled: "These shoes are killing me. I hate this. I feel tired. I just want this to end..."

"Stop whining. You're giving me a headache. The girly business is getting to your head. I can't wait till we're back to normal."

"_Girly business?!_ Excuse me, but it was your idea, I told you I don't want to do it!" Harry exclaimed a bit too loudly than he should have.

"Shut it! People will start looking!" Draco hissed back, furrowing his perfect blonde eyebrows. "Yes, it was my idea, but you're not supposed to start acting like a girl!"

"I am _not_ acting like a girl!!!" Harry yelled, flushed a bit and angry.

"Then stop making a scene!!!" Draco yelled right back and they both looked around. "See, now they really are staring at us!"

"I don't need this! If you decide to come to your senses, I will be outside!" with that Harry stomped loudly outside and left Draco alone.

The Slytherin growled and wrote a quick letter to Snape and gave it back to the spider lady who asked him for money to pay for the owl service.

"Shit!" the Slytherin exclaimed and earned another scolding look from the old witch. Then he tried smiling sweetly, forgetting that he looked like a girl. "I will be back in a second!"

He ran outside to find Harry fuming on a street corner, kicking the ground with his expensive slippers.

"Hey, could you give me some money, I forgot we have to pay at the Owl Office," Draco asked as he rushed to his mate. But Harry just whirled around, clearly still angry, and started yelling on top of his lungs, his green eyes blazing.

"It's all you need, isn't it?! Money, right?! If somebody pays you're ready to do just about anything, you stupid cheep Slytherin slut!"

People had turned around and halted in their steps to observe the weird row between two beautiful girls.

Draco just smirked and grabbed hold of Harry who stumbled forward and kissed him firmly on the lips.

_**Author's Note, again: **I hope you enjoy readingmy story as much as I hate the addiction of writing it. In the case if you're reading this note- REVIEW!!! Make yourselves noticed by me! Say something nobody has said before! Flame me because I didn't write a nice, long, juicy snog part in this chapterof Draco and Harry as girls because I am not... quite so familiar... with the female body... ahem... to write it ;p sorry. [jeez, this was embarrassing..._

_BUT anyway, if you REVIEW, I get a notification on my e-mail and then I remember about this story, because sometimes during work I really forget that there exists a normal world where I can sit back and write for a while. If you want this to continue, motivate me! hehe:)_


	13. Three Queers Walk into a Bar

_**Author's Note: **I'm actually thinking of changing my user name to 'read me, rape me' hoping it would interest more slightly ont normal people to read my story, but then I remembered that it's most possibly impolite to swear in your own usermane. What if kids read that?!_

_I bring you- my latest masterpiece!_

**13- ****Three Queers Walk into a Bar**

"You're such a prick," Harry mumbled when they drew apart from the kiss. "I don't understand how you can be so beautiful."

Draco raised one of his perfect blonde female eyebrows and smirked, tugging softly his mate by the hand in the direction of the Owl Office: "Was that an insult? Because if it wasn't, I have to say that you're not too good at making compliments."

They walked silently back into the Owl Office building and Harry paid the required fee for using their services. As they walked outside it had started to drizzle and the air had gotten cold as it often did in autumn in Scotland.

"Can we go somewhere for a coffee? We can't use any warming or water repelling spells and I don't want to get soaked," Harry asked and looked at his mate who was standing in the small rain enjoying himself.

"Really? I finally don't feel so dried out anymore and wouldn't actually mind standing for a few more minutes here," Draco answered and lowered his head to look at the dark haired girl standing next to him, shivering slightly. The blonde smiled: "It's not even raining too strong to get soaked, why are you shivering? That mini skirt suits you, by the way. Nice legs."

Draco giggled and Harry suddenly remembered the time he had spent together with the Slytherin masked as Ann. The girl, that he had been positive he will never see again, was next to him with water dribbling down her silver eyelashes. The slightly black humor Draco often used didn't have the same repercussions when he joked looking like Ann. It seemed softer, more flirtatious. And Harry wasn't immediately reminded of everything he hated and didn't make him want to retort in a rude and abusive way.

Torn out of his silent thoughts, he heard Draco say something as from a distance: "I suppose you'd like to call me Ann when I'm like this, but what kind of a name you would like to have? Candy? Dolly? Or Sweetcheaks?"

Harry blushed and leaned against the wall of the Owl Office: "How did you make your own name up, by the way?"

Draco laughed the fantastically thrilling laughter Harry had so much liked in Ann. When transformed to a female form, the Slytherin acquired a higher and much smaller voice that almost sounded like a bird's singing. And it showed when he laughed: "It was the first thing that came to my mind when you asked me."

"Oh…" Harry just stood there for a moment with a far away look and exactly when Draco had finally come up with a really rude joke about the connection between a brain shortage and becoming a female, the Gryffindor pushed himself back from the wall and started slowly walking down the street. "Let's better go."

Draco rushed right after Harry: "Where are you going? Do you even know this place?"

"No, but I want to find a place to dry off," the Gryffindor didn't even stop or wait until Draco caught up with him.

"Is there something I have missed?" Draco asked and although it wasn't really hard to keep up with Harry since he was walking slowly, the Slytherin didn't like the idea of him trailing after the other like a stray dog. "Can you stop for at least a second?! Did I say something wrong? What's up with you, Potter?"

Draco tried calling after the Gryffindor, but Harry just continued to walk away, ignoring the questions. Mindlessly the now dark-haired girl pushed open a door of some pub and strode in it.

When Draco joined Harry at a far table after a few minutes with his own beer, he sighed and said: "I'm sorry that I'm acting this dumb, but I just have this feeling that something is wrong. You know, like something is out of place and at any time everything could fall apart."

Hearing this admission, Draco decided to try another approach: "Hey, I know you are worried, but there is no real reason. I mean, we are in a clumsy situation, but in the end things will turn out okey. You'll see, after all, it's a normal thing to be cautious and think that something is wrong. Everybody gets this feeling some time."

Harry's pretty female face suddenly shot up, green eyes blazing: "Don't you dare to try and comfort me! I am not some week girl that has broken her nail. We really are in trouble and when I get this feeling it is mostly because Voldemort is up to something."

"What?! Now you're somehow the one who has seen and done so much that people like me who have spent their whole lives surrounded by Dark Magic, Death Eaters and Voldemort's authority's pressure are not worthy enough to understand the situation efficiently?! But your stupid Gryffindor friends that have been raised in a greenhouse are so extremely clever to help you and feel sympathy towards you because of the burden you bear? Is that so, Potter?"

Instead of being taken aback what Draco had expected and hoped for, Harry just sneered unsightly back at his mate and said in a mocking tone: "Oh, you poor little Slytherin, do you feel unappreciated?"

The both _ex-rivals_ were interrupted when a man's voice came from behind: "Merlin, are you ever subtle?! Or you just lack this ability because of this horrible characteristic to always exceed and be better you both have? No living person ever could stand to be in a relationship with any of you."

The mildly sensual tone belonged to Snape who sat down at Harry and Draco's table and took a swig from his Bloody Mary. His students in the mean time were looking quite aghast and speechless.

"How did you find us?" Draco finally managed to choke a question out. He really hadn't anticipated that Snape would arrive so promptly.

"You are not too hard to overlook. With this…" he gestured in a drunken way towards the boys' appearance. "_Steaming hot and angry lesbians_ look you both have… I understand that you needed to hide from the Death Eaters, but why did you go so radical and switch your genders? Why didn't you just grow a mustache or something?" Snape raised an eyebrow and inquired genuinely interested. "Is it some kink or what?"

Harry didn't even hear the last sentence, but bolted in his seat looking at Draco and then at the dark-haired professor: "What?! It's possible to do just that? Draco?! Why did you decide to change us into girls? Didn't I state explicitly enough that I didn't want to do it?!"

Draco just waved his small female hand, dismissing the subject: "Calm down! You're becoming hysterical again."

Harry shrieked back, getting flushed and angry again: "I'm not becoming hysterical!"

Snape just watched the interaction: "What's wrong with him?"

"He's been like acting like a girl ever since we changed. He even wanted to pick out the colors to wear," Draco snorted and it sounded very vulgar coming from Ann, not to mention it didn't have the same effect that the snort would have had if it had come from a male Draco. And of course it only offended Harry even more.

Snape just frowned and put a hand to Harry's forehead that didn't have the horrible scar anymore: "Did something go wrong with the spell?"

"Stop talking as if I'm not here! Nothing is wrong with me! You're just acting like a pair of complete and utter bastards! That is the only problem here! And stop touching me, you ugly man!" Harry screeched again, even higher that the previous time and batted Snape's hand away.

Draco laughed: "Nothing went wrong with the spell! I think it turned out perfectly well."

Snape joined the smaller Slytherin's laughter: "Yeah, Harry, I can congratulate you- you have finally become a woman!"

Harry growled angrily, but said nothing, hoping the topic would just get dropped if he didn't respond anymore.

But much to his devastation, Snape continued, turning to his favorite student: "Wait, is he a woman or still a girl?"

They both exploded in loud laughter and made the other clients of the bar turn to look at them.

"That is not your business!" Harry had decided that shrieking didn't help, so he tried yelling as loud as his female voice possibly could allow him to. But his feelings broke loose and a tear dribbled down the left cheek. Snape and Draco halted their laughter and gawked.

"Is... is he… _crying_?!" Snape whispered, looking at Harry and his single tear without even blinking.

Draco had fallen silent and then he pulled himself together and smirked: "The Girl Who Cried. Moaning Harry…" and then he almost fell under the table because of the eruption of his laughter.

But the Gryffindor started only crying stronger: "Why are you making fun of me? What have I done to you?"

The small girl he had become, turned away from the both Slytherins and tried to find a refuge spot where she could be on her own. But Draco achieved to regain his self-control and put his arms around his mate pulling the crying girl in his lap. His face was still twitching from barely controlled humor, but he just patted the head clad by curly deep black hair.

"I hate always being the strong one. I don't want to be the hero. I have never wanted it, but now I just can't take it anymore. Nobody understands me. Nobody loves me…"

"Everything is okey, I didn't want to make fun of you, I just was interested in how you'd look as a girl. You don't have to worry. You will get back to normal in no time," Draco whispered partly feeling sympathy for Harry, but another part of him just wanted to break down and laugh until the world ended. His tongue was sore from biting into it all the time to prevent himself from making another lewd comment.

After a small while Harry freed himself from his mate and smiled at his Potions Master a shy smile: "I'm okey, everything's fine. I don't know what came over me."

Snape just snorted rudely and took a swig from his drink: "Women!"

Harry sniffed and made a squealing noise that dreaded to end in another crying session on Draco's blouse, but the blonde Slytherin, wanting to avoid that, put a protective hand around Harry's small female shoulders and, pointing a finger at Snape, bellowed: "Don't you dare to start this over again!"

The professor rolled his eyes and took another large swig from the Bloody Mary.

"And are you trying to get drunk?" the blonde inquired in a pissed off manner.

Snape looked up and smirked: "Of course I am. Dumbledore got kidnapped-"

At this Harry woke up from his self-pitying trance: "What?! Who kidnapped Dumbledore?"

Snape snorted: "Gee, this is a hard one, Potter. Try counting Dumbledore's enemies on your fingers, a really long list there. Who else could have tried kidnapping the Headmaster and succeeded at that other then our beloved Deranged Lunatic?"

Draco giggled his girly laugh: "Imagine the both loonies sitting and drinking some tea and exchanging their views of how the world doesn't understand them."

The younger Slytherin earned a pair of angry and irritated looks from his companions: "This is really not the time, Draco," said Snape and switched subjects: "So, you two together now?"

Harry blushed a deep shade of red and Draco spilled almost his beer at the question they both had heard a bit too clearly for their liking.

"I think it would be better if would move to a safer place," Draco interjected diplomatically and got up to his feet.

The three exited the pub and were immediately welcomed into the warm after-rain sunshine by a horde of Death Eaters.

Snape drew his wand almost instantaneously and not later than that it was taken away from him by some Death Eater. Harry observed this and decided against playing the hero. Draco looked like he was concentrating hard on something, but the Gryffindor couldn't decipher out what before one of the Death Eaters spoke in a tone that vividly illustrated his lack of intellect.

"You, queers, are really a bunch of idiots," some other of the black clad men accompanied him with a roaring laughter. "We found at Snape's room at Hogwarts a letter that indicated exactly where to find you."

"Yeah, if you're in hiding you should know that writing letters that describe where to find you is not how it's usually done," another man in a similarly blockheaded manner agreed.

In Harry's head the alarms went off, he looked at his mate to find the blonde girl staring incredulously at Snape. The older man had a glazed look over his eyes as if he didn't understand anything of what the Death Eaters were saying. That only confirmed in Harry's mind that Snape was thoroughly drunk.

"What did you do with the letter?" Draco spoke in a harsh voice, a one that you usually don't address your teachers with, but it seemed that Snape didn't even register it. So the younger Slytherin yelled: "Severus!"

The older man started to sway noticeably and looked at Draco lifting one eyebrow up as if everything that had happened in the last few minutes didn't apply to him: "Huh?"

"What did you do with the letter?" Draco asked again, losing his patience.

"There's no use, Draco. I think he's either too drunk or in some state of shock," Harry interjected, but no one seemed to pay attention to him, including Draco. Everyone was too entranced into the way how Snape was acting.

"What letter?" Snape asked, evidently fighting to regain his wits.

"The letter we sent you, that said to come to Wizarding Edinburgh and help us. That letter! What did you do with it? Were you so stupid and left it somewhere anyone could read it?"

Snape stared for a moment into nothingness and then he replied: "I did not receive such a letter."

The man looked pretty damn sure about what he was saying so Harry and Draco shared a quick look amongst themselves and then the Slytherin lost his patience and exploded with rage: "What do you mean- you did not receive that letter?!"

Snape smirked: "Well, I already was in this bar when you walked in. I stared for a few moments and then realized that it was you. I was just trying to get myself drunk and had no intentions of running into you both… Oh, yeah, how did you escape the Dark Lord?"

At that moment one of the Death Eaters, clearly had enough of being ignored, yelled out and flashed a few powerful curses at the trio. Harry, Draco and Snape fell to the ground unconscious, without even having had a real chance to fight back.

Harry woke up and raised himself in a sitting position to look around.

The first thing his senses registered was that it was freezing cold and the harsh winds of Scotland were tearing at his flesh. He was still in his female form. Apparently not much time had gone by, but he found himself far from where he last remember being- in the middle of a vast field of long green grass in the middle of nowhere.

The sky was grey and emotionless, but the clouds were rapidly moving in the direction the winds were blowing. There were no trees, no people. Only in a distance of some four meters Harry located the still unconscious form of Draco.

He got up and without any hesitation ran to his mate. The slender girl's figure was resting with her blonde, long hair brushed over her face. The Gryffindor reached out and was startled to find his own girly hand that moved as if on its own accord.

Shaking the weird feeling off, he brushed the soft hair aside and underneath found the beautiful face of Ann.

The Slytherin lay on one side, one hand pillowed under the face, the other stretched out. The face showed no signs of the previous anger or the fear they both had felt when attacked. It was peaceful as if Draco had just decided to take a nap somewhere on the way of a hitchhike from Edinburgh to Glasgow.

Harry wondered for a brief moment why it was so that he didn't find it even remotely deranged to become a girl and still feel a sexual interest in his mate who also had switched his gender. He felt like magic was screwing with his mind, making him believe in one thing, although his brain wanted to refuse and struggle against the illusions of the Glamour Charms.

But one thing was for sure, the attraction towards Ann was different than the one he felt towards Draco. The intensity was still the same, as was the gut feeling he had when he was with the Slytherin- drinking, talking or either kissing, all the same. But different was the freedom he felt towards the expression of his emotions. It was as if the body of the girl aroused much more hunger and he became more avid in demanding what he wanted.

Harry suddenly remembered that one true conversation with Andy, how the man had tried to flirt and seduce Harry, but his manner had been too cautious. The Gryffindor smiled imagining what would have happened had Andy been more demanding. He wasn't sure whether he would have rejected the hairdresser even taking into account that he had believed to be straight at the time. In the past few weeks everything had changed so rapidly and quickly that when finally Harry had gotten used to one thing, the feelings and the circumstances had once again altered beyond recognition. Harry knew that he had this habit of hanging on to the past, although he had tried to change it and not let it influence him anymore, he couldn't help looking back and wondering, exploring and imagining what would have happened if things would have gone a bit differently.

But then he once again looked down at the pale face of the beautiful creature with long blonde hair that managed to shine even with no sun around.

People always showed more visibly their interest in girls than they did at boys. Harry wasn't sure if it was because of his own real gender and his orientation that made him think of things like that, but by all means he refused to start up a train of thought that would eventually lead to hearing the word combination 'the right/ correct orientation'. It would only give him a headache, after all.

But it was true that mostly when he felt that Draco looked especially handsome in a particular shirt or without anything, he would rather keep it to himself that verbalize his feelings. Whether it was because of the slight almost unnoticeable fear that the other could wake up at some point and announce that it had been a great mistake, or because girls really did provoke you to be more sexually raw and open about it.

Draco started to stir and woke up with a soft moan as if he had had a good night's sleep. The eyes opened slightly and they really were blue as Harry remembered. Apparently the glamour charm masked also some individual features like Harry's scar and the typical silver color of the Malfoy eyes so that the person really became more unrecognizable.

"Shit," was the first thing Draco muttered in his soft female voice, then yawned and stretched out like a cat. While scratching his own chest, the Slytherin's hand brushed against his breasts and he jumped up in a sitting position, startled. "Merlin, that scared me, we're still girls, right?"

The blonde raked his eyes over Harry's female form, expressing the same sexual hunger the Gryffindor had mused on just a minute ago.

"Gee, you're really bright when it comes to stating the obvious," Harry smirked.

"F'ck'ff," Draco mumbled once again yawning and not even bothering to put a hand in front of his mouth. "I just woke up, give the man a break. And I have never before woken up as a girl so I don't see why I should play the bright miss sunshine here. What happened? We got drunk and decided to have a go in the wild fields of Scotland's highlands? Was I good?"

Harry looked at the blonde a minute, trying to figure out whether his mate really didn't remember because he had bashed his head perhaps somewhere or was just still sleepy. Harry had already had time to get accustomed with Draco's not so clever self in the mornings, but then the look on the Slytherin's face straightened and he visibly swallowed the situation in which he found himself.

"Fuck… Where's Snape?" he said, getting up to his feat and looking around the field.

"No idea. I woke up just some ten minutes ago near you and nothing has changed until then. Do you think maybe the Death Eaters didn't recognize us and now are interrogating Snape?" Harry said getting to his feet, too.

But the blonde shook his head: "No, I don't think so. They explicitly stated that we also were queers and a bunch of idiots. They must have somehow known about our Glamour Charm or seen through it. What do you think they have in storage for us?"

Harry took another look around, although a more careful one this time. It did bother him, where had the Death Eaters taken Snape and whether the man was still alive. It bothered him even more that he cared. He wrote that off on after-shock.

"Hey, come and look, Harry," came Draco's shout that stirred him out of his pensive mood. "We are on a hill, and look what's happening down there."

What had appeared to be a vast and smooth field turned out to be really a large hill that was so wide that Harry hadn't seen anything underneath them in the valley. And now he was shocked. Apparently Draco hadn't been the only one to be confused and disorientated when waking up.

It was a mini-Death Eater-World Cup Finals- there stretched a wide camping area full of Death Eaters as far as the eye could see. There where Wizarding tents everywhere and black clad figures that moved restlessly around the valley. But a little further on where Draco and Harry could barely even make out the identity of the people, there was what seemed a bonfire spot. Many of the Death Eaters had arranged in a large circle around one more powerful figure that could only be Voldemort. The madman was almost dancing around two of his victims. Both were male and seemed to be on their knees.

"Um, Draco," Harry whispered and the blonde tore his eyes finally away from the horrible sight that made both of their stomachs wrench with disgust. "I think that those two are Dumbledore and Snape…"

"Yeah… But it seems careless and weird from Voldy to have left us simply on a top of a hill without any guards or even shackles. I would have really expected the trick with the glass ball once again from him, knowing how he doesn't learn from his mistakes. But why leave us here? In the middle of nowhere, I understand- we kinda' can't run away… But he should now until know that you know how to Apparate," the Slytherin rummaged around in his pockets and took out his wand. He looked at his mate with a fearful and uncomprehending look. "They haven't even taken our wands away… Are they mentally deranged or what? Come on, let's go down…"

The Slytherin took up a stride down the hill, but after a few steps in the direction of the valley stopped and was thrown back. A shield of powerful magic outlined itself around the top of the hill, imprisoning them both with no means of escape except maybe for digging.

But even this last hope was quickly discarded as a siren went off in the whole valley.

_**Author's Note: **Sorry, I got so philosophical there for a moment;P It's just a topic that catches me for more than o moment... Hope, you'll understand._

_But of course, you will! Don't take it as an offense;P You are all my beautiful and clever readers that REVIEW!! :P hehe_


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